


Snakes and Tales

by PrincessCharming



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Agrabahan Viper, Episode variation, F/F, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-10
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-01-24 05:28:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 43,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1593254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessCharming/pseuds/PrincessCharming
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the seance fails to get answers from her mother, Regina uses the Agrabahan viper to summon someone else from Cora's past instead. Afterwards, Emma notices that Regina isn't ok and she can't resist stepping in to help her, but a certain pesky snake keeps getting in the way (and it's not Hook). </p><p>A Swan Queen version of 3x18-19.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

Emma thought it was her fault when the bright blue column of swirling smoke above their heads disappeared and she expected Regina's criticism any second now.

The table jolted and Mary Margaret shrieked. It brought an abrupt end to their seance and the attempt to contact Cora. The five of them reclaimed their own hands and looked at each other wondering what had gone wrong with the spell now that things had calmed. She was new to magic and had no idea why they had failed, if her magic had interfered with the process. If anyone knew it'd be Regina.

"Do we try it again?" suggested Mary Margaret.

"No," Regina said quickly and shook her head. "There's no point. It worked, the portal opened but nothing came from it. My mother doesn't want to talk to me. I guess whatever secrets lie in her past she wants to keep buried there."

Hook apologised for something but Emma didn't see or hear what he said. She was still looking towards the woman at her left and the abject disappointment on her face. Regina leaned forward across the table to blow out both ends of the table. Every time her mother was mentioned she had the same expression on her face.

Emma recognised it as longing. A desperate seeking of parental approval. Even after all these years, after the hate and fighting and the distance, even after she became a mother herself Regina still sought to occupy a special place in Cora's heart. Emma could relate on some level, after growing up with no mother at all she knew that she would have been crushed if she had one who constantly dismissed her and never listened to anything she said.

It made her angry now. Cora had the chance to make amends with Regina last year and what did she do with the time? She convinced her daughter to join her quest for more dark powers by using Henry as bait. Regina almost lost everything because of it. Yet again Cora swooped in to ruin her daughter's life without a care in the world for what would actually make her happy.

Now they had performed rare magic to talk to the dead and Cora still wouldn't listen to her daughter.

"What if we do it again a different way?" said Emma. "I'll try harder and help you with my magic. I can-"

"No," snapped Regina, eyes flashing at her. "Did you not hear what I just said."

"Tell me about this seance magic then, the summoning of the dark forces of whatever."

Regina explained impatiently to her gifted-yet-untested student. "It was invented as a means to make contact with departed souls on the other side so that the living could seek justice on their behalf. It only works for someone who died at the hand of another still living person and the murder weapon is a key ingredient in the magic."

"Then it's your lucky day because I am ace at Clue," Emma joked. "Got any other dead relatives available?"

"You think this is funny? Oh yes, that's right,  _you_  have never lost anyone. I suppose you find it hilarious that my entire family is dead, except for a sister who is trying to kill me and a son who doesn't remember that I exist!"

Chastened by guilt, Emma softened her tone. "Hey. I'm sorry, that was a crap thing to say. Can you think of someone else we can contact who might know about your past?"

The others were taken aback by the idea. It was an obvious solution yet no-one else had pointed it out. Mary Margaret tilted her head and examined her daughter with a shrewd look. Emma missed it in this instance but she had felt similar inspections lately from her mother whenever she and Regina happened to be getting along in a civil manner. Right now it was like they were the only two in the room.

"Like who," said Regina sarcastically. "I have murdered many people with my own bare hands, you might as well take your pick. It has to be someone who knew my mother in her youth."

"What about your father?" said Emma.

Regina bit her lip. "No. Mother would not have told him anything from before she was married. If he knew he would have told me. He told me everything. We were close."

It nearly broke Emma's heart to hear Regina over-justifying her relationship with her father. It was almost like she was trying to show them all that she was indeed loved by someone. Emma thought she saw Regina's hand tremble before it disappeared out of sight into her lap. She wanted to take it in her own hand and put all of the compassion she felt into her grip.

No-one would see if she did it. But then why did she care if anyone saw? It's not like it meant anything like  _that_. It was just that she wanted to offer support to… a friend. Regina was the mother of her son after all. They had been through a lot together. That's all. Regina was far too stubborn to accept help so Emma thought it might be better if she didn't risk getting rebuffed.

"What about my father? He may know something about your past." Mary Margaret's latest suggestion was delivered with full caution. She rubbed her hand across her rounded belly as she had been doing a lot lately, either to comfort herself or the baby or both.

"Why would he have known Cora?" said David.

Mary Margaret explained. "Well, she arranged the marriage. During the negotiations as to dowry and settlement, a full investigation into the prospective bride's family history would have been performed by the court on my father's behalf. He may know something that turned up, something that no-one else knew about."

"You want to summon the King? The one who was Regina's husband?" Hook raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "That's not likely to go wrong is it."

"Why?" said Emma.

Regina rose from her chair so fast that it tipped over. She stalked out of the room and the door slammed shut behind her with a flick of her wrist. The rest of them looked at each other, wondering if they ought to get out of her house (alive) while they still could.

Mary Margaret pushed herself up out of her own chair with difficulty. "Oof. It's okay, everyone, don't get up. Let the pregnant lady do everything herself. I'll go check on Regina and see if I can change her mind."

"You think you can convince her?" said David incredulously.

"We need answers."

For half a second Emma considered going after Regina herself. She wanted to but she didn't know what to say. It was awkward. It was weird even thinking that Regina had been married to…  _my grandfather. Ugh!_  She hadn't known her then of course because it was before she was born, and she didn't know many details about the marriage, but she knew enough from Henry's storybook to assume that it had not been a love match.

Ever since she had come to Storybrooke and met Regina, Emma was convinced that she was the most ridiculously passionate person she had ever met. All she ever did was let her feelings rule her judgement: revenge, grief, pain, sadness, and loss. Those had been her constant companions since her youth. But her extreme feelings were not limited to the negatives. Regina's love for her son knew no bounds and Emma was certain that there was nothing she would not do, no line she would not cross, when it came to Henry. It was awful that someone with such a capacity for love had ending up marrying as part of an unwanted arrangement by her own mother.

When Mary Margaret went out of the room, David and Hook and Emma were left alone.

"So," Hook smirked. "This ought to be an interesting family reunion. But I thought the King was assassinated in the other land. How are we to locate the murderer here?"

David sighed. "We don't need to. Regina either killed him herself, or arranged for it to happen."

Emma's eyebrows shot up. "She killed her ex-husband?"

"You don't know this already? That was in one of Henry's stories. I thought you'd read the book?"

"I um… skipped parts of it. How'd she kill him? What was the murder weapon?"

David scratched the back of his neck and stared at the ceiling, apparently either not knowing or unwilling to say what method the King had succumbed to death under.

Hook leaned back in his chair while they waited. "Let's hope she didn't throw him off a cliff then shall we? Things could get messy."

* * *

"Do not pet the two-headed snake!" Regina hissed. She slapped Emma's hand back away from the reach of sharp fangs. The Agrabahan viper was coiled up in it's box sitting in the middle of the table. The two heads bobbed in hypnotic circles watching Emma with two pairs of eyes as though goading her into trying again.

"I wasn't going to touch it," Emma grumbled, but she wasn't very convincing.

"Yes, you were! It's like you're a child," lectured Regina. "Whatever I tell you goes in one ear and out the other. Being too curious about magic will get you killed. From now on you are only allowed to touch the things that I explicitly tell you to touch."

Hook coughed into his only hand. "Mind if I watch?"

"Hook," David growled and gave the pirate a quelling glare, ever protective of his daughter.

Mary Margaret pushed her chair back from the table as far as it would go and eyed the deadly snake with fear. It was the same one that had killed her father. It was a magical species completely unknown to this world, Regina explained to them. That was why it was still alive after all this time. Apparently the former Evil Queen had kept it locked in a chest in her family vault. She had manipulated the Genie, now known as Sidney Glass, into planting the snake in the King's bedroom.

"... Its bite is unerringly accurate," said Regina, in her best David Attenborough impersonation. "Its venom contains a highly potent neurotoxin. Death occurs within minutes. Symptoms include localised pain, swelling, discolouration, difficulty breathing, and rapid onset of paralysis- "

Emma eyed her mother's increasingly white pallor. "Regina! Okay. We get it. Your pet snake is a badass. Can we please get back to summoning the dead with it."

The five of them closed their eyes and joined hands to form the required star-shape as would be seen from above to guide the requested soul through the portal to this world. Just like their first attempt, Regina's magic connected with the spirit world and the blue portal swirled over their heads. The snake hissed and reared its heads at the unnatural indoor weather phenomenon occurring above.

"King Leopold!" called Regina.

Emma opened her eyes and looked around the room, wondering what they were supposed to see if the dead guy did actually show up. This seance trick seemed a bit difficult to pull off, surely someone who had been killed would refuse to face their murderer again from the afterlife.

"King Leopold. Your presence is requested!"

Regina called his name repeatedly but there was no sign of Leopold so far. It seemed the ghosts were reluctant to talk tonight. Emma thought back to the time she'd played with a Ouija board as a kid. That had been just as not-useful as this.

"Father, please!" Mary Margaret joined in. "It's me, Snow. I need your help."

The roaring wind of the portal quietened and a filmy blue presence in the shape of a man floated down to hover in the air above the table. He was an older man, wearing Royal robes and a crown around his thinned white hair. Emma thought the image looked a bit like a bad hologram.

"It's good to see you, my beautiful daughter," said the King. His gaze passed over Mary Margaret's husband and grownup child. "I've watched your family grow with happiness."

"My family is in danger now, Father," said Mary Margaret, tears forming in her eyes. She gave him a rough overview of the threat to her unborn child. "Regina needs to ask you some questions about her past. Please talk to her."

The King's image turned to face his former wife. He showed no pleasure in seeing her. She had been avoiding looking at him until now when she met his eye contact with a defiant glare.

"And what does my wife, the Queen, wish to ask of me?"

Regina gritted her teeth. "Did you know anything about my mother before the day you came to the estate to propose?"

"Yes," the old man nodded solemnly. His blueish transparent form rose and fell in a gentle motion. "I knew your mother before you were born."

"And? Are you going to tell me how you knew her? Or should I guess."

"There is no need for such hostility. I no longer bear you malice for your part in ending my life many years ago and I will answer all of your questions in due time. But first, you must allow me to ask your apology so that I might rest for my eternity."

"You want my forgiveness?" Regina laughed humourlessly. "Perhaps you overestimate how much I want to save your grandchild's life."

"I don't think I do."

Emma and the others waited out the stalemate between the King and Queen. It was incredible to believe that these two had actually been married at some point. They were like strangers. Terribly ill-suited for each other. It was clear that there had never been any love on either side.

They were all waiting for Regina to give her assent to hearing the King's apology but Emma knew there'd be a snowstorm in hell before the stubborn woman would give in to doing anything she didn't want to. Mary Margaret shot her daughter a look that said, "Do something!", and she gestured with her head towards Regina.

"Er, King Leopold… um, Your Majesty?" Emma started out badly. She fished for something to say, something to convince him to go on without the apology to spare Regina having to hear it. But the King got the wrong idea and thought she was encouraging him to speak anyway.

"Very well," the ghost of Leopold sighed. "I shall say it without permission. I am sorry, Regina, for taking you as my wife in the full knowledge of never being able to love you. I did it for my child who needed a mother, and for myself. The Kingdom needed a mother too. I saw only too late the effect marriage had on you. Not all women are made for it. I will never forget the fear on your face on our wedding night. You were so young. If you felt any pain it ought to have been explained to you beforehand-"

Emma leaped up from her seat, horrified. "What the fuck! Is this supposed to be an apology?!"

All eyes snapped to her for the outburst. Emma was shaking with anger as she faced the ghost of her grandfather, a family connection she despised having right now. They needed answers. Her parents were in danger, as were her unborn sibling and Regina and Henry, and the entire town… instead of being useful this guy was bringing up the most painful and irrelevant of memories.

"You bastard!" she spat. "I guess they don't teach Kings how to issue apologies properly. Here's a clue for you: you're supposed to show contrition for your actions and you're supposed to acknowledge that you hurt the person not insult them further. It's probably not a thing in your backwards medieval morality but here, that disgusting thing you forced upon her? We call it 'rape' now and we'd throw your ass in jail for it."

"We were married," said the King. "I never hurt her."

"Does she look unhurt to you?!" Emma cried, holding her arm out in front of the former Queen. "She cursed an entire realm because of her pain. Her heart is a wreck and it's taken her years to turn her life around. The only reason she made it through is because she's strong. She got nothing but hate from everyone in your Kingdom. Did it occur to you to ask for her consent? Did you even care? Or did you just take what you thought you were entitled to."

Regina frowned. "Emma-"

"I have magic and I'm powerful as fuck because I'm the Saviour. I swear to god if you weren't dead already I'd figure out how to bring you here and let her kill you again so that I could help."

"Emma, SHUT UP," Regina snapped. She reached to grab the sleeve of Emma's blouse and dragged her back to her seat. Mary Margaret's face had blanched whiter than her fairytale namesake.

Emma felt the red haze of anger clear from her mind and realised with chagrin that she might have made things worse by yelling at the ghost from whom they needed answers. She sat in her seat and averted her eyes, avoiding the stares of her parents. No doubt they were curious about why she'd leaped to Regina's defense like that and it now made her feel self-conscious. She had not had an ulterior motive but the topic made her blood boil after some of the things she'd witnessed in different foster homes and on the streets because of her job. Some people didn't get it. There was no argument passionate enough, in her opinion, especially while these things kept happening to women.

Why hadn't she thought of it before? What exactly had Regina been through? Of course it didn't absolve all of the terrible things the Evil Queen went on to do. Her past didn't excuse her actions, but it did explain them somewhat.

"Leopold," said Regina stiffly. "You've made me an apology, which I… 'accept'. Now, tell me what I need to know about my mother and her firstborn child."


	2. Part 2

“Are you coming, Emma?” said David.

 

It was not long after the seance was completed.

 

The four of them (Emma, her parents, and Hook) were in the process of showing themselves out and standing around in the foyer of Regina’s house. Hook was loitering around, seemingly waiting for an opportunity to leave with her, and her parents were getting ready to go as well. They had driven here and were offering to give her a lift back to the B&B along with Killian who was “coincidentally” staying there also. Granny had cottoned on to his motives though and had given him a room far removed from hers. The sketchy pirate had enough influence on Henry already.

 

“Uh no, I’ll catch up,” said Emma. She crossed her arms and made no move to gather her coat. Her parents exchanged a look and had one of those silent communications that married couples often have.

 

David made his exit and shuffled a reluctant Hook out as well, leaving Mary Margaret to whisper in Emma’s ear. She checked to make sure they were alone first.

 

Regina hadn’t stuck around, she disappeared into the kitchen the second the seance was over. It was the first time all evening -- or ever-- that she failed to play the perfect hostess. Mary Margaret noticed it as well and now told Emma about her earlier conversation with Regina, in which the two of them exchanged real apologies and finally, _finally_ , made peace with their longstanding feud.

 

Mary Margaret warned her that Regina might still be feeling a bit vulnerable tonight. Leopold had told them the whole sordid history about his and Cora’s engagement and how Cora came to give up her secret lovechild, Regina’s older sister Zelena, because she was the product of her mother’s seduction by a penniless rake. They now knew Zelena’s origins and what she was planning to do.

 

“Emma, what was that all about earlier?” said Mary Margaret. “You know how Regina is. She doesn’t take anything lightly. Be careful with her but don’t make her out to be a helpless victim, she’d hate it.”

 

“Yeah, I know,” said Emma. “She’s pissed at me. In other news water is a wet clear liquid. But I wasn’t going to let that guy talk to her like that. Sorry, I know he’s your father and he’s from another world, another time in history, and all that stuff. But did you see her face when he mentioned their wedding night for god’s sake? Ugh. Just hearing it made me want to put my fist through the wall.”

 

“I know how you feel about this sort of thing. At the time, I was only a child and I didn’t realise the implications until later. Regina was only eighteen when she married, barely seven years older than I was. We were closer in age to sisters than we were to being mother and daughter.”

 

“She married a dude old enough to be her father. How could Cora do that to her own daughter? Marry her off to the guy she was once engaged to herself? That’s just sick -- it’s wrong on so many levels. It sucks that Regina has to find out about this now. It sucks that it happened to her at all.”

 

“Is there something going on with you and Regina? I’ve noticed your relationship lately has been ...”

 

“What. Our relationship has been what.”

 

Mary Margaret wasn’t fooled by her daughter’s supposed innocence. “Emma.”

 

“Okay!” Emma said defensively. “She’s - she’s Henry’s mother. She gave him up so that he and I could escape the curse and be happy. To me, Regina is - I don’t know! She needs someone on her side. I don’t want her to be hurting anymore. What kind of lesson is it for my son if stuff like this keeps happening to his mother and nobody does anything about it? I don’t want him to see me treating her the way everyone else does. Anything that hurts her affects Henry too.”

 

There was that perceptive look again from her mother and it made Emma feel like she was being examined under a microscope. Damn Mary Margaret for knowing her so well. She probably knew what Emma was thinking and feeling before she even did. She was trying to get her to admit something to do with Regina, but Emma could be wilful too when she wanted to be.

 

Mary Margaret smiled goodnight and gave her hand a squeeze. She closed the front door behind her and left Emma standing alone in the foyer of Regina’s house.

 

Emma heard the clink of dishes and found her way to the kitchen. Regina was there, standing with her back to the rest of the place, busying herself with rearranging some teatowels next to the sink. It looked like she was unfolding and refolding them for no apparent reason.

 

“Uh, hey, need any help?” Emma offered.

 

She hadn’t meant to startle her but Regina jumped and looked around. The teatowel in her hand knocked one of the crockery cups off on the edge of the counter. It smashed to pieces on the kitchen floor.

 

“Not if that your idea of helping,” said Regina flatly.

 

Emma went over. “Sorry. Let me fix it with magic.”

 

“No, I’ll do it. It could take all night for you to manage the spell.”

 

“Hey, have some faith.” Emma pretended offense. “I got this.”

 

The student of magic took a deep breath and held out her hands above the broken pieces. She mimed a gesture in the air of picking up and gathering the pieces. Nothing happened so she repeated her motions, but it still didn’t work after several attempts.

 

Emma frowned. “Something is supposed to happen. Am I doing it right?”

Regina sighed heavily and massaged her temples. “How many times must we go over this? It’s basic magic. Concentrate on what you want your powers to do. Think of the cup as it will be once it’s repaired and will it to happen.”

 

“Right, right,” Emma murmured, closing her eyes to picture it. “Sorry. I was still thinking of it being broken. This time I have to picture it repaired. Got it.”

 

She tried again, repeating the exercise as she had been taught. It was fairly simple magic really, especially compared to other feats she had performed. During their magic lessons it drove Regina crazy that Emma could do things like split souls and reassemble broken foot bridges to save her life but she couldn’t do basic conjuring or transporting with reliable accuracy.

 

“Alright, I give up.” Emma opened her eyes, ready to get out the dustpan and clean the mess up by hand instead. Then she was surprised when she saw it: a perfectly formed cup was sitting in Regina’s palm and there was not a scratch or crack to indicate that it had ever been broken.

 

“Boom! I did it.”

 

“Well done,” Regina said without much enthusiasm.

 

Emma watched as she went to put the cup safely away in the cupboard with the others of its kind. She watched her every move, wanting to say something so that they could talk but not knowing what. Regina was the one who usually directed how things went between them. At the moment, it seemed like she didn’t want to talk to her. But then why the hell didn’t she just ask her to go? Or kick her out?

 

There was a hissing noise that came from the far end of the kitchen and it was her turn to be startled. Emma nearly jumped out of her skin. Her eyes went wide when she realised what it sounded like. She couldn’t see the box anywhere though and a scaly movement caught her eye. Alarm struck her in the chest.

 

“Regina! I just saw a tail slithering around the corner. Was that the snake?”

 

“Yes, my Agrabahan viper. I believe you two have already met.”

 

“You wouldn’t let me touch it but you’ll let the world’s deadliest snake run loose in your house? Are you insane?”

 

“Like most snakes, it won’t hurt you unless you go near it. Or unless you annoy me too much.”

 

Emma laughed nervously. “Guess I’m dead then. I can’t help myself around you.”

 

Her joke didn’t amuse Regina. The former queen leaned back against the bench and crossed her arms. After what had happened tonight she clearly wasn’t in the mood for company or any attempts to cheer her up. Maybe if she went and got Henry it’d jerk Regina out of this melancholy. It was a good idea but there was no way to explain to Henry why he was being taken out of bed to go visit the Mayor at this time of night.

 

“What are you still doing here, Emma?” said Regina, sounding weary. “Everyone else has left I’m sure.”

 

“Yeah, they left a little while ago. I stayed back to talk to you. So, uh, I think maybe you’ve had a rough kinda night and um… look, I just came to check if you’re ok. Not your usual Regina-response of ‘I’m fine’ though, I wanna know if you are really ok. Uh, ok?”

 

“Could you be less articulate?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Very well. To answer what I assume is your question, I am fine. I’m ‘really ok’ if you insist on that ungrammatical construction. Exactly how that’s different in meaning to ‘I’m fine’ I cannot tell.”

 

“Regina,” she whined.

 

“What else do you want me to say.”

 

“It’s me! I don’t want you to give me that ‘I’m fine’ bullshit. I know you’re not ok, I just want you to tell me the truth.”

 

“You clearly think you know everything already, so what is the point? If it is true that I am not ok, what makes you think that I would want to talk to _you_ about it?”

 

Emma softened her expression and tone. “Why does everything always have to be a fight between us. I’m trying here and you’re fighting me every step of the way. I only asked a simple question.”

 

“The truth is rarely simple,” said Regina enigmatically. “Why did you jump to my defence tonight?”

 

“I thought someone needed to.” Emma shrugged. “I got angry over you. I can’t believe your mother did that to her own daughter. Made you off to a marry a guy she was engaged to herself out of revenge. The age difference alone makes it-”

 

“Yes, I know. I was there,” Regina snapped. “I said I didn’t want to go over this.”

 

“You’re right um- sorry.”

 

“Sometimes I have days when I don’t think of it at all, and when that happens I don’t like to be reminded of it by someone else. Even if it’s the first time someone has bothered to defend me. Now I’d prefer to occupy my mind with more important concerns, such as my son and our non-existent future together.”

 

After that nostalgic confession, Regina pushed herself away from the bench and walked straight past her out of the kitchen without another word. Emma supposed that it was some kind of dismissal but it wasn’t the kind of ‘get out’ message that was enough to make her leave. There would have to be dire threats to her life involved at this point to get her to leave. Or fireballs.

 

 

Emma found her upstairs in a part of the Mayor’s house she had not been privy to before. Regina was standing in the open doorway to an empty room. She must have known that she had been followed because she spoke before Emma got the chance to let her know she wasn’t alone.

 

Without turning around, Regina gestured to the empty room. “You wanted to know why I’m not ok? This was Henry’s bedroom.”

 

“Where’s all of his stuff? Did you pack it away in storage?”

 

“No. It never came back when Zelena brought us here again with the curse. There is absolutely nothing left in Storybrooke to indicate that Henry ever lived here. His toys are gone. My photos are gone. Everything of my son’s that I kept is gone. There is no record that he was ever mine. I have nothing left but my memories and even those are tenuous.”

 

“Regina,” breathed Emma. “I can’t imagine how you feel but I-”

 

“Of course you can’t. What is it with you and your mother tonight? I’m in no mood for heart-to-heart discussions with either of you. Especially her. Especially _you_.”

 

“Yeah, you keep saying that. But I think you don’t mean it.”

 

“Ok then.” Regina turned on her with a deceptively open smile. The one that showed her full set of perfect teeth that seemed almost predatory. It never boded well. “Let’s talk. How do you feel about your parents having another child?”

 

“Wha-” Emma frowned in confusion. Where had that come from? They were supposed to be talking about Regina’s woes, not hers. What did she mean by asking such a random question? It had been just another surprise to her upon returning to Storybrooke after Hook’s potion brought back her memories. Apparently it had been a surprise to her parents as well, since they were missing their memories from the previous year they didn’t remember the circumstances behind it.

 

Regina raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

 

“Uh, I’m ok with it. Why wouldn’t I be.”

 

“Because they’re replacing you. They’re getting a second chance at raising a child, but you will never get a second chance at a happy childhood.”

 

“Ah, I know what you’re asking now,” Emma smiled, catching on to what Regina was fishing for. She intended to show her what an honest answer was. “You’re right, I can never have that. All I wanted when I was growing up was a home and I still don’t have one. And yeah, it hurts like hell. But they’re more than my parents, they were my friends first. I love them and I want them to be happy. It’s certainly not the baby’s fault that I’m a screw-up with abandonment issues and even though I don’t have any idea about being a big sister I’m gonna try. Whenever I feel jealous I remember back to when I used to have no family at all. I’ll never take what I have for granted. Ever.”

 

“I see. So to make yourself feel better by comparison you think of what it’s like being someone with no family at all. Like me.”

 

“You’ve got family, Regina, you just won’t admit it. And I’m not talking about the sister who’s trying to ruin your life. You should know more than anyone that family is built on more than blood ties. You are family to us. To Henry and my parents, and to me.”

 

“If you mention the word ‘step-grandmother’ right now I will incinerate you where you stand, Emma Swan.”

 

“Argh, no! Not like that. I wasn’t even thinking of that before you put it in my head. I swear I have the most screwed-up family tree in the history of trees.”

 

They stood around silently for a while, each trying to picture the room as it used to be. Regina imagined it as it had been before when he had lived with her, bookcases full of clocks and comic books and fairytale pictures that were stuck to the walls. Emma imagined her version, thinking of Henry’s pile of crap from his messy bedroom back in New York, with books and video games covering every available surface.

 

“If the baby is a girl,” Regina mused. “Hopefully the two of you will get along better than my sister and I do.”

 

“You’re disappointed about that aren’t you?” Emma guessed. “You finally found out that you have a sister who your mother hid from you and instead of getting the chance to get to know each other, you’re trying to kill each other.”

 

“Nature or nurture aside, we both ended up like our mother. Maybe there was never any hope for either of us. We were destined to lose, because that’s what evil does.”

 

“You’re not like Cora, Regina. You’re not like Zelena either.”

 

Regina stepped into Henry’s empty bedroom and began to pace around. “That’s exactly why this is insane! She’s jealous of _me_? WHY?! If she’s jealous of my life, of the fact that Mother kept me because I was legitimate and she wasn’t, then she’s welcome to it. She can grow up having her every move criticised, she can marry the King instead of me, and then she can cast Rumpelstiltzskin’s curse. She can _have_ my life if she wants it so badly! It’s brought me nothing but loss and a broken heart. I have nothing left.”

 

Emma couldn’t stand hearing her talk that way. She grabbed Regina by the shoulders to stop her and turned so they were facing each other. Somehow her hands migrating higher to cup the sides of the other woman’s face. She had a vague thought about having never touched her this way before. Her skin was so soft, and she couldn’t resist brushing her thumbs to smooth over it.

 

It had been a certain way of getting Regina’s attention. She looked completely shocked, frozen solid, as though she were a trapped under floodlights. She breathed for the first time and then realised how close they were standing together, their faces were only inches apart. She swallowed hard and her eyebrows creased in a frown.

 

“Please,” Emma whispered. She searched her eyes with her own, dismayed at the sight of unshed tears. “Don’t wish your life away. It’s yours. It’s worth living. I remember what it was like to think you’re gonna be alone forever but you can’t give up hope ok?”

 

“Why are you doing this. You shouldn’t-”

 

“We’re going to beat her with our magic, you and I. You can be happy. It’s not as impossible as you think.”

 

Regina’s voice choked. “I can’t have _any_ of the things I want. They’re both taken.”

 

“Yes, you can.”

 

“No, I can’t!” cried Regina, swatting Emma’s hands away angrily. “I can’t have my son because of your insistence that he know nothing about this. I’m a stranger to him. I want him back so badly that I can hardly breathe. I want him to be mine and not yours. I hate seeing you with him when I want to be there too. I can’t stand the idea that you are the only one in his life. He’s my son! That degenerate pirate Hook gets to spend more time with him than I do and for no more reason than the fact that he’s gone moon-eyed over you. He isn’t a good influence for Henry. I don’t want him around either of you. But apparently I don’t get any say in the matter anymore. I’ve been overruled and pushed aside because I don’t have a blood connection to Henry ‘Swan’. You have the gall to say to me that genetics are not important while at the same time using them to keep him from me? _He is my son_.”

 

“I know. You miss Henry. I’ll bring him around to see you tomorrow and-”

 

“This is your fault. You convinced me to meet him after I told you it would be too difficult for me. But I can’t stand seeing him this way anymore, not as some random friend. Or worse - as the Mayor. Who would believe that _you,_ an ex-juvenile delinquent, would be friends with the Mayor. I should never have listened to you. I think it’s time you left, Miss Swan. You can see yourself out.”

 

Like before with the others, Regina never bothered to see her to the front door. Instead she disappeared into another room down the hall, probably her own bedroom, and shut the door.

 

Emma sighed inwardly and trudged her way downstairs, puzzled by the shifting sands of Regina’s moods. This was getting too complicated. What had she been thinking? Of course it would never be enough for Regina to only spend a short time with her son like she was on some kind of supervised visit arrangement. Perhaps the idea had hurt her more than not seeing him at all would have done.

 

No. She knew that as a mother she would never have forgiven herself is she missed an opportunity like it. Regina would know that too. The pain of seeing him was definitely worth more than the pain of not seeing him at all.

 

Henry had not been easily fooled either. He had asked her one night in their room after they had all had dinner together at Granny’s:

 

_“Mom, were you and the Mayor good friends when you were young? She’s always staring at you. How come?”_

 

_She’s staring daggers at me, kid, Emma had thought to herself. She hates my guts because I have you and she doesn’t._

 

_Emma made up some story for Henry’s benefit to explain why Regina was always coming over and spending so much time with them. It was hard to account for though, since she didn’t make much effort to act very friendly to either Emma or Mary Margaret. Henry was too smart for his own good, she had to be careful not to give too many details to alert his inquisitive nature - the one Regina had instilled in him._

 

_“Does she have any kids?” Henry asked. “Maybe I could hang out with them. Are we about the same age?”_

 

_Emma wanted to cry. “Not anymore she doesn’t. She lost a son who she loved very much. But don’t ask her about it ok. It’ll make her very sad.”_

 

_“She seems kinda sad all the time though. Except when she’s with you...”_

 

_“It’s not me, kid.”_

 

_“Yeah, it is. What about when you guys went out together the other night. When you said you had to go on a stakeout because the Mayor asked you to? She was really happy after that, when you came by afterwards to introduce her to me. I saw her smile at you when you weren’t looking.”_

 

_“She was probably smiling at you instead.”_

 

_“Nope, it was definitely you. Maybe she’s really lonely and she forgets it when you’re together.”_

 

_“She is lonely. Because she’s alone,” said Emma, thinking to herself ‘and it is my fault’._

 

Henry was right, Regina did look sad all the time. But he wasn’t right about the reason. There was absolutely no chance in hell that Henry’s theory was true. Regina did not enjoy her company. The kid had definitely been wrong about the happy look too. Emma had never seen Regina look at her with anything approaching it.

 

As if to prove herself wrong, a recent memory came into her head and there was something to do with glass and funky smells and chemistry. It was of Regina and they were both in her office.  She was thanking her, Emma remembered it clearly. Regina never thanked anyone for anything. The expression on her face! It was one Emma had never seen it before. It looked almost like she…No, it couldn’t be that. Could it?

 

Emma remembered feeling conscious at the time of her own dopey smile, a wide one that she couldn’t keep off her face. She had missed Regina this past year without even knowing it. It was hilarious seeing her get irritated when she tossed the glass at the wall. Classic Regina. Then at the stakeout in the car, Regina got the same expression on her face when she asked whether Henry was happy living in New York. She looked at Emma the same way she looked at their son. She was happy simply because someone she loved was happy.

 

 _Oh god!_ Emma realised, thinking over all of the clues she hadn’t picked up on before that now seemed obvious. The looks she had missed the first time, the jealousy of Hook and Neal in Neverland, the constant and possessive need to be near their son... and her.

 

_Regina doesn’t want to take him away from that life, or from me. She just wants to be a part of it too. Despite our rough beginning she tolerates the idea that I’m Henry’s mother too. She even tolerates my parents now. The dinner at Granny’s… we spent most of the time sneaking looks across the table at each other while the others talked. Does she feel something for me…?_

 

Outside, Emma walked down the darkened Mifflin Street. Her breath clouded the air in front and she hugged her coat tighter around her. She could have phoned her father to come pick her up but thought better of it and decided to use the walk to clear her head and think. The same person kept popping up in her thoughts however, and it was not the Witch who was currently threatening the town.

 

Regina said that she couldn’t have “any” of the things she wanted because they were both taken. Plural. Not just her son, she wanted something else for her happiness. Now that the idea had taken root there was nothing else to focus on.

 

_What if I am the other one she wants?_

 


	3. Part 3

The next morning Regina woke and dressed as usual. Not that there was a strong motivation for it, which is why took she extra care to do the opposite and chose a stunning outfit. These days the quietness of her house unsettled her, now that the downstairs TV never blared the noise of morning cartoons anymore. In an effort to cover up the silence she used her phone as a source of white noise. She headed down to the kitchen to start the coffee machine for her breakfast.

There were odd noises coming from the kitchen. If she hadn't known better she would have said someone was cooking. It was probably Zelena teleporting in to be a jealous bitch again. Probably cooking her a poisoned green apple pie or something. Regina raised her hand into a claw and let it burst into a fireball when she walked in, ready for a fight.

"Hey, Mom, is Regina up yet?"

It was Henry. He was standing at the bench, which was cluttered with bowls and containers of flour and sugar and other ingredients. Luckily, he had his back to her.

She quickly extinguished the fireball in her hand. "H-Henry?! What are you doing here?"

He turned out around when she called his name. "Oh hey, Regina. Sorry, I thought you were Mom. I promise we'll clean up the mess later ok. I'm making pancakes for breakfast. See!"

"But… why?"

Henry gave her an 'adults-are-so-dumb' look. "Because pancakes are awesome. Why else."

"Does your mother know where you are?" Regina asked casually. "Is she here too?"

"Yeah, she's in the lounge room with a surprise for you that I'm not allowed to see. Oh, by the way, can you do me a favour?"

Regina smiled, resisting the urge to ruffle his hair.  _Too motherly._  "Yes, Henry. What is it?"

"Mom said you would be mad when you found out we broke into your house, even though you keep your door unlocked because no-one would dare to burgle you. Why is that? She also told me that you and her and Mary Margaret used to play pranks on each other all the time. She said she broke something huge of yours once and you were reeeally mad at her then. But I think you're too nice for that. So I said you'd be happy when you found out why we broke in because duh everyone loves pancakes. It's important that I'm right and Mom is wrong because we made a bet. Can you act happy so I can win?"

"Of course I will. For you." Regina agreed to the deal. It would be easy to fulfill her end of the bargain, since she wouldn't have to act at all. Not to mention the added bonus of being on whichever side Emma wasn't. "What do you get if you win?"

" _When_  I win I get to go to the park later and Mom isn't allowed to do any work at all for once. Are you busy today? You should come with us. Mom said you built the park for someone who you love very much and that the play equipment is shaped like a castle. He must be a lucky kid. I'm sorry you lost him. I hope you find each other again one day."

Regina felt her eyes flood with tears.  _Yes,_   _I do too. It's the thought that gets me through each day. I love you! I wish I could tell you how much._

"Sorry," Henry mumbled, seeing her eyes welling up. "I didn't mean to make you sad. Don't cry?"

"I'm not sad." Regina smiled widely. She could listen to him chatter about nonsense for an eternity. "Now, about these pancakes..."

Henry returned to concentrating on what he was doing. His cooking skills had improved little during the last year and he was obviously a student of the Emma Swan School for Making Messes, judging by the amount of sifted flour that covered the bench and floor already. Regina went over and showed him how to whisk the batter properly so that all of the flour blobs broke up, leaving the mixture perfectly smooth and runny for the pan.

"Here," Regina handed Henry the jug of pancake batter. "You can manage the second batch of batter by yourself. I need to go find your mother before she destroys my living room."

* * *

As she neared the living room Regina could hear more strange noises. Little popping sounds of attempted magic and then the cursed mutterings that followed. She checked once behind her to make sure Henry had not followed her. Why on earth was Emma doing magic with Henry around? He could walk in on her anytime. How would she explain that?

Upon entering Regina saw Emma sitting on the carpet surrounded by an assorted array of vegetables that appeared to be multiplying by the minute. Rutabagas, those round turnip-like plump things, appeared to be the most common varieties among them.

"What are you doing," said Regina, unimpressed.

Emma whirled around in shock. "Regina! You scared the life out of me, I thought you were Henry. Can you go away for a minute. I need to get this right."

"No, I will not go away. It's my house. I cannot fathom the logic of why you have turned my living room into a farmer's market. Why are you doing magic in the first place? Henry is only out there in the kitchen."

"Yeah. I figured that if he finds out I'd tell him the truth."

Regina's perfectly shaped eyebrows shot up. "After all this time you've spent insisting on this conspiracy you're going to let him in on the truth? Just like that?"

"Just like that." Emma smiled.

_What has gotten into her? Has she really changed her mind since last night? It must have been Emma (not Henry) who came up with this crazy break-in-and-make-breakfast plan, but for what purpose?_

Regina nodded to herself and then remembered her promise to Henry. She had to make Emma think she was happy to see her. She managed a thousand-watt smile with hardly any effort. It may have been a little over the top though because Emma seemed somewhat dazzled by the response. But that only made her keep it up and the funny thing was, a genuine warmth spread through her.

The other funny thing was catching Emma look her up and down, failing to be discreet about her appreciation of Regina's raspberry keyhole dress. Not that Emma would know Gucci if it punched her in the face. But the admiration was certainly welcome and she was exceedingly pleased with her choice to wear this particular dress today since she had not expected any such return.

"So, Emma. Are you going to explain the abundance of these rutabagas?" Regina let her voice betray a flirty tone and swept her arm out gesturing to the turnip-like vegetables laying on the carpet.

"Uh." Emma blinked. "It's - it's a surprise for you. Um... surprise!"

"Yes, I must admit it is definitely a surprise to wake up and find you in my house on a Saturday morning sitting amongst a pile of rutabagas."

Emma sighed roughly in frustration. "I can't get it right! I'm trying to conjure something and it's coming out as a vegetable instead. That's only the first problem. The second problem I have is that I can't vanish them once they're here."

Regina flicked her wrist and all of the mistakes disappeared in an instant.

"As for conjuring," Regina repeated the lesson for the umpteenth time. "Picture it clearly in your mind, whatever the thing is that you want to conjure. Concentrate and it will appear."

"That's the part I'm having trouble with. Whenever I try to picture what I want another thought gets in the way."

"So stop thinking about it."

"I can't."

"Tell me what it is. Perhaps I can help with what's blocking you."

Emma shook her head. "Nope. Can't do that. It'll ruin the surprise."

It was too early to deal with Emma's special blend of nonsense without having coffee first. Her stubborn secret-keeping would have been irritating at any time let alone this early in the morning. The delicious smell of breakfast was already wafting out the kitchen. Henry must have started cooking the pancakes by himself.

Regina went to leave so that she could check on the young chef. Emma hastily called her back.

"Alright alright, I'll tell you!" Emma gestured her over and they both sat on the couch side-by-side. She scooted towards her as though deliberately trying to invade her personal space. It would be rude to move away, so Regina didn't, but she was entirely conscious of just how close they were. She adjusted her posture so that it was as prim and proper as always.

"I'm trying to conjure a rose," Emma announced.

Regina's eyes flicked over for a second and then away. "A rose. What for?"

"Never mind. It's part of the surprise. Can you show me how? A crimson red one, none of this ambiguous crap. No pink, no yellow, no white. Blood red, like the stuff that pumps faster through your heart when you see the one you love. I want my intentions to be clear."

Knowing she was sure to regret this, Regina held out her fist and let her fingers uncurl like a flower opening up. The long stem of a dark red rose appeared by magic in a puff of purple smoke and it lay flat in her palm.

Emma took it for a second to examine its perfect quality and then offered it straight back to her.

"Here," Emma sounded breathless with nerves. "Sorry you have to conjure your own rose because I suck at conjuring spells."

Regina turned her face and Emma's was right there close enough to see the detail of each eyelash and the light dusting of freckles on her cheeks. The colour of Emma's eyes changed according to the light and today they were grey-green. It was a familiar colour. They were Henry's eyes too. They held vulnerability, like the day they had met on her doorstep. It alarmed her.

What was Emma up to?

The thorns were still on the stem and Regina felt the pricks on her fingers. "What is this for?"

"It's a leap of faith. For god's sake stop me if you don't mean all of that stuff you do because I can't get it out of my head. I realised it only last night when I was walking home and now it's obvious. Then I saw you and I keep seeing it and um... I can't believe I almost missed it. This whole time. But only because you're so stubborn, too stubborn to uh, make the first move. So yeah. I figure it's up to me."

"Amazing. It turns out that you  _can_  be less articulate than you were last night."

Emma smiled shakily. "Well, it's like this. Everyone I date, I end up getting hurt one way or another. People turn out to be someone else. Except you. Because I already know who you are."

"Why are you talking about dating?"

"Because I- come on, Regina. You know why. This is hard enough."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh." Emma's voice was small but it only served to extend the awkward pause, not break it. "But you keep looking at me… and you hate Hook … and you come over all the time. I thought it meant-... I don't know if I'm misreading things, if it's just wishful thinking or... Are we getting close to something? You and me?"

Whatever she wanted to say in reply, the words were stuck in Regina's throat. How had Emma figured it out. Why was she doing this? She had everything. She could have anyone. It would never work between them, she must know that too. Half the time Emma acted like she still thought Regina was going to pounce on Mary Margaret and kill her. The other half of the time she was so considerate it was almost annoying, the way she called her every day and constantly asked her if she was ok.

Initially Regina refused to admit that she liked it when Emma called. It puzzled her at first why her former enemy bothered to call her at all. She didn't merely call to ask for help. She let her know what was going on, with Henry or the town's problems or sometimes to ask about magic. She just called.

Emma tried hard to learn magic. But she struggled with simple tasks and got frustrated each time she failed in front of her teacher. Embarrassment made her worse. Regina was hard on her and yet Emma persisted, focused on the reason they were doing this. She had come back when she didn't have to. Because that's what heroes do. Emma was a hero, even when she couldn't view herself that way.

Then there was Henry. She referred to him as "their" son these days. When they first arrived, Emma wasn't going to let him know anything about magic or his other mother. Regina suspected that it was because she intended to take him back when this was over. She was going to have to let him go again. But Emma's attitude seemed changed. Would she really tell him the truth?

He wouldn't believe it and it wouldn't be the same. Even if he was told that Regina was his other mother it would not make a difference. He had to  _remember_  it. It would be cruel to tell him otherwise. It would be better for everyone if Emma took him back to New York after this was over. She wanted Henry to be happy, and according to all reports he had been during this past year.

Even if Regina could admit that her attraction to Emma was growing into...  _that kind of feeling_ , there was no way that Emma had feelings for her in return. She would always hold a candle for her first love Neal. She had a boyfriend (fiance?) in New York. She had a mutual attraction with Hook, the persistent pirate. Surely she would not turn her back on those choices. Not for Regina. Not for the woman she hated and certainly not for the Evil Witch who had tried to kill her mother time and time again. The same villain who was responsible for sending her to a world where she was left as an orphan to grow up alone, bereft of family and hope.

But it sounded like Emma was trying to initiate something along romantic lines. But that couldn't be true. It wasn't possible that it was really happening. Regina knew she wasn't that lucky. It was not in her stars to have another chance at real happiness.

_I can never have that. If I allow myself to hope, it will only compound the hurt when it ends. This is why I don't take risks. Not with my heart. Not with love. Not anymore._

"Emma, I don't take risks..." she whispered. But unfortunately her tone betrayed enough of her feelings to raise hope in the other woman's eyes. Even that was cause for panic and the urge to protect herself from falling for it again was strong.

_Crush her hopes. Before she crushes yours._

The rose in Regina's hand suddenly burst into its infinitesimals by magic. A small dust cloud lingered in the air, one particle in a million caught the light and twinkled. But the women weren't the only two who saw it.

"Hey! How did you do that?" cried Henry.

* * *

"Regina, I am so sorry about this!" Emma repeatedly apologised as the two of them dabbed at the syrup-stained carpet with paper towels. "Is it coming out or are we just rubbing it in more?"

There was a plate with a stack of pancake pieces laying nearby. Henry had come in to show off his breakfast creations and he was so shocked by the sight of Regina doing magic that he lost hold of the plate. Maple syrup flooded into the light-coloured carpet of the living room. Worse still (according to Henry) was that the pancakes were ruined.

"Geez, kid," Emma frowned up at a guilty-looking twelve-year-old standing next to them. "You gotta be careful in someone else's house. You don't bring food in here without asking. I want you to apologise ok?"

"I'm really sorry, Regina," said Henry, cringing. "I should've been more careful. Is the carpet ruined?"

"No, dear, it's not. Make yourself at home." Regina smiled at him and then turned sharply on the blonde next to her. "Don't remonstrate him like that, Emma. It was an accident. Do you think that I haven't cleaned up a thousand messes made by a child in this house?"

"So have I!" Emma countered. "I mean, my house. My apartment, whatever. We have floorboards not carpet so it's not as bad… and my kid's twelve, not five."

"Then you won't be as familiar as I am with scrubbing spaghetti sauce or dog poop out of carpet."

"What's that got to do with anything?!"

"Nothing," Regina said loftily, pretending to concentrate on a tough spot. "Just that you weren't around for the hardest parts."

"Are you SERIOUS? You're using cleaning experience to determine who's the better mother? God, I hate it when you're competitive like this."

"Your words imply there's a competition. Admit it, you missed this." Regina flashed her teeth.

Emma glared back, making a cursory attempt to ignore the black bra that peeked out of Regina's dress. "I did not miss  _this_."

"Well, that's just not true."

"What are you guys talking about?" Henry piped up, confused. The two of them were acting really weird. He'd never seen his Mom riled up like this by another lady. A lady who his mother had been spending a suspicious amount of time with.

"Nothing," they said in unison.

The boy narrowed his eyes. "Why were you sitting on the couch so close then. Did I interrupt something when I walked in here?"

"No." Again, their answers were as perfectly timed as if they'd rehearsed.

"Mom! I know something is going on. You've been acting really weird ever since we got here. Why are we here? I don't understand why you took me out of school to come here. This isn't anything to do with a case is it."

Emma insisted. "Yes it is."

"Then maybe you're losing your touch. We've been here for ages and there's still no sign of the perp. What are they on the run for? Why would they come here? Who put up the bail money?"

"Kid," Emma growled. "Stop being nosy. Or you're grounded."

Henry crossed his arms, nonplussed. "Nice try, Mom. You can't send me to my room because I don't have one. What are you going to take away? I don't have anything here."

"Yes, you do. Your phone."

Regina stopped cleaning and sat up to stare at Emma in horror. "You bought him a PHONE? He's already got that other game thing that he's been glued to every time I've seen him. What does he need another device for. He's twelve!"

Emma sat back on her heels. She shrugged defensively. "All the other kids have got them these days. What was I supposed to do? I'd like to see you enforce the 'no phones at the table' rule or try to drag the kid off the xbox before midnight. Pre-teenage boys are like gremlins."

"You let him stay up till midnight?"

"You should see how much they eat too. I'm going to need another job just to feed him. A single income isn't cutting it anymore. I'm not a millionaire. You got off easy."

"Emma!"

The two women got stuck in another heated staring contest, unbeknownst to them their little audience of one was taking it all in with amusement and curiosity. Predictably Regina was the first one to lose patience with it. Without another word, she got up and went to the kitchen to fetch the spray bottle of carpet cleaner and more paper towels.

While she was gone Henry whispered to Emma. "Why does she care about what time I go to bed and whether I have a phone?"

"Nevermind."

"Weird. Did you two used to date or something?"

"What? No!" Emma whispered back. "Why are you asking that."

"You said you dated a girl once. Is that why we came all the way here? Was it her?"

"No. It wasn't."

"She likes you though." Henry grinned. "Does she  _like-_ like you? Maybe you should ask her out. You said no to Walsh didn't you? So you're free. She's pretty..."

Emma hushed him. "As if I haven't noticed. Shhh, kid. She's coming back."

Regina re-entered the living room looking much less discomposed. Actually, Emma thought she looked like she was overdoing it. She was putting it on like some fake overly-perfect hostess from a TV commercial who had come to demonstrate a new cleaning product. Urgh, she was acting exactly the same as the day she'd given her the baked apple turnover as a 'peace' offering.  _"I do hope you like apples"... yeah right,_  Emma rolled her eyes internally.

"Henry, dear," Regina smiled widely. "Why don't you go into the kitchen and start making the second batch of pancakes? Your mother looks very hungry and I neglected to bake a humble pie big enough for her to eat."

"Sure." Henry shrugged and went away, but not before sending Emma an 'I-know-what-you're-both-up-to' look from the doorway. The two adults were being very suspicious after all. Flirting and bantering as they were.

Once he was gone, Regina waved her arm over and the carpet stain disappeared by magic. Fetching the cleaning products was merely a ruse for Henry's sake. Magic was much more efficient than manual domestic effort.

"He knows," Emma said in a low voice.

"Knows what?"

"He doesn't know about magic or who's who in Storybrooke but he does know that something is going on here. Because of all the whispers and the staring. He knows I haven't told him why we're really here. And now, thanks to your sassy rejoinders, he thinks there's some kinda romance going on between us."

Regina clenched her teeth. "There isn't."

"Yeah. You know that and I know that. But Henry doesn't. As far as he can tell, I rejected a marriage proposal from my boyfriend and came here to lick my wounds and maybe to rekindle an old flame. He thinks we came over here this morning as part of some super-ingenious romantic plan to woo you with breakfast."

"You call  _this_  romantic?"

The scorn in the other woman's tone put Emma on the defensive. It stung. Yeah, she did call it romantic. Maybe the magic rutabagas had been a fiasco, maybe bringing the kid along was a bad idea, maybe breaking in to make breakfast was stupid. But she had good intentions and that should count for something. She had been this close to fessing up about her feelings and attraction. Nothing she ever did was good enough in Regina's eyes. Every time they got too close the former Evil Queen lashed out and pushed her away.

"You know what, Regina?" said Emma flatly. "You can mock my job all you like, you can remind me every five seconds about how I went to jail once, you can go over all of the ways in which I'm an inferior mother to our son, and you can sure-as-hell pretend there's nothing between us. But I know the truth. You wouldn't have let me go with him if you didn't trust me. I've been considering something since last night, I was going to tell him who you really are… now I'm not so sure."

"You can't tell him that I'm his mother," Regina snapped. "What's the point? He won't believe it. He doesn't remember me."

"Make up your mind! First you want him to know, now you don't. Which is it?"

"I don't want you to tell him because-"

A yelp and a clatter came from the kitchen. It was the kind of distress signal from a child that stopped a mother in her tracks. Both women's head's whipped in the direction of their endangered son and maternal instincts had them both running for him.

_"_ _Mom! Mom! SNAKE!"_


	4. Part 4

_"_ _Mom! Mom! SNAKE!"_

Without even knowing it, Henry had called for both of them. It was the unmistakable cry for help that caused both of his mothers to react on instinct. The need to protect their child superseded everything else.

Emma and Regina ran into the kitchen to see Henry on the floor leaning back on his hands. The boy had scooted back up against the kitchen cabinets where he was apparently trapped in the corner. He didn't pause to look up at them, his terrified gaze was fixed on the foe positioned near his feet.

The Agrabahan viper was poised to strike.

"Kid, don't move!" Emma ordered. The sight of her son in danger her heart skipped a beat and then began to hammer with panic.

Henry was paralysed by the mere threat of its presence. The fact that there was a snake in an otherwise safe suburban home was not the prime cause for shock. It was because the snake had two heads, formed in a V-shape that joined the rest of its sinuous length. Both of the heads exuded danger, hovering in the air in hypnotic circles as they regarded their prey. Each had a tongue that flicked out between a pair of fangs to taste the air, no doubt detecting fear.

Both snake heads were within striking distance of Henry's lower legs. A single scratch from one fang would result in the rapid spread of neurotoxin throughout his small body. He could be dead in under thirty seconds.

"Mom, what is that thing-" Henry choked.

"Henry, stay very still," Regina said in a low voice, holding out her palm. "Everything is going to be ok."

"Regina!" Emma glared. "How is this ok? There's a deadly fucking viper at his ankles and it looks pissed."

"Don't swear in front of him."

"Hurry up and use your magic or Parseltongue or whatever. Call off your beast before it kills my kid!"

"Magic won't work directly on it."

Regina crouched and crept up behind the snake, making sure to keep herself in its blindspot. She reached out slowly and stroked her hand down the back of the scaly head closest to her. The snake hissed at the sudden contact coming from somewhere it couldn't see. Then sinuous reptile calmed and allowed the stroking to continue.

The eyes closed sleepily and the snake's body relaxed.

"It's working," Emma whispered in awe.

"I need you to conjure its box, dear," said Regina, without taking her eyes away.

"Me?! Have you forgotten about the rutabagas? I suck at conjuring."

"Yes, but your powers seem to work best in dire situations. This qualifies as one of those. Do it."

"Fine," she muttered.

Emma bowed her head and took a deep breath. She stretched out her arms in front and imagined the box occupying the empty space between her hands. She could picture it clearly. It was an aged wooden chest with rusty metal fastenings, the same one she had seen last night when Regina brought the snake to the seance.

_The box is in my hands,_ Emma told herself. _It's not in the home office sitting on the table where it was left last night. It's where I need it to be right now..._

_The snake could whip its head around any second now and sink sharp fangs into the skin of Regina's wrist. Or Henry's ankle. One of them could die. They both could die. They_ _ will _ _die, unless I save them. I must have the box. This box that I already have in front of me..._

A weight dropped into her hands. It was the box appearing out of nowhere. She had successfully conjured it with magic.

"Mom, h-how did you do that?!" wondered Henry.

Emma was in almost as much shock as he was. "I did it!"

Regina sighed impatiently. "Lower it to my level so that I can put the snake to bed."

At the very mention of the word "bed" the snake hissed and gave a grumpy expression, like a human toddler upon the announcement of bedtime. It regarded the open box that Emma held nearby with suspicion.

Regina resumed soothing the snake with her hand. Once it was docile enough to pick up she encouraged the creature into its box where it immediately curled up in a coil and went to sleep. Its four eyes were closed now. Keeping watch for any last attempts at a strike, she gently lowered the lid and turned the key in the lock.

Emma and Henry exhaled in relief. Now that the three of them were still sitting on the kitchen floor with the danger now safely ensconced, other matters became more important.

"Mom, what was that thing?" stammered Henry, still in shock. "It - it wasn't a normal snake. It had two heads."

"It's called polycephaly," said Regina. "It occurs when an embryo fails to twin properly. Usually two-headed snakes don't survive in the wild, they move in zig-zags because the two brains argue about everything. I trained this specimen myself."

"See, kid? It's biology," said Emma. "Nothing weird going on here. Just a rare snake that's all."

Henry wasn't convinced. "Then how did you make the box appear like that?"

"It wasn't what it looked like -" started Emma. "I brought the box in from out there, you just didn't see me do it."

"NO!" Henry cried angrily. "I know what I saw. You pulled it out of thin air."

"You were scared. Distracted. It makes it hard to think properly-"

"Stop lying to me! There was a two-headed snake and it got sleepy when she touched it. You made something appear as if by magic. I don't understand what's going on here. There's something weird in this town. I know you've been keeping something from me. Why won't you tell me? I deserve to know."

"No, you  _want_  to know. That's not the same thing."

Henry was desperate and he obviously couldn't understand why his mother was trying to hide the truth from him, whatever it was. He turned to Regina. As the other witness she must have seen it too and he appealed to her to back him up with testimony.

"You saw it too right?" Henry pleaded with her. "That weird snake could have killed you. Why did you go near it? Why did you save me? My Mom is lying isn't she."

Regina bit her lip and shook her head imperceptibly. She spoke quietly. "I think you should listen to your mother, Henry. She knows best."

The twelve-year-old leaped to his feet. "NO! You're both lying. I'm not crazy! I want to go home."

Regina got up and took his arm, pre-empting his intention to run off. "Henry, stop. You're not going anywhere while you're this angry, darling. You could get hurt."

Henry frowned. "Why are you calling me 'darling'? I'm not five. You can't tell me what to do."

"You're right, Henry. That's your mother's job, to keep you safe at all times. Something she has failed at recently. I'm sorry."

Emma covered her face with her hand, unwilling to see the lancing hurt in the other woman's face. "We can't keep doing this. Regina, we gotta tell him the truth."

* * *

"Fairytales?" Henry let his skepticism show by scrunching his face.

His eyebrows had hit his hairline at several points during Emma's narration. The three of them were sitting in the lounge room now. Emma was in the process of explaining in a somewhat jumbled manner the origins of the magical town of Storybrooke and its residents. She was careful to leave certain facts out, hoping that she could shield him from the bits she didn't want him to know.

For a former fervent believer he was having trouble accepting the ideas. "Uh huh. This is your big explanation for why we're here?"

"Yes," said Emma. "I really am on a case. Kinda. There's this person I'm chasing."

"Who is it? The big bad wolf?" Henry snickered.

"No, it's-... nevermind."

"Mom, you seem really sincere about this but it's not possible. It's crazy. You know that, right? There's no such thing as magic. Fairytales are just stories. There's something weird here but the people in this town are just regular people."

Emma was starting to get exasperated. "I am actually telling you the truth! This is what you wanted to know. Magic is real. That's how I was able to conjure the box out of nowhere. What do you want us to do - put on a magic show?"

"Maybe later. Ok say magic is real, everyone in this town is a fairytale character, and you're on a case. But why do you have magic powers? Who are you really?"

"I'm… Snow White's daughter," she muttered.

"You think you're a princess?"

"Well, no but-"

"Nobody who knows you would believe that. You're too much of a dork, Mom. Fairytales are kinda lame anyway."

Emma shot a glance at Regina and got a sneaky idea. "Yeah, you're right, kid. Fairytales  _are_  lame. Especially the villains. They always lose! Not one of them was badass enough to take down an easy target like one of those pretty little princesses. All they had to do was break up a marriage. How hard can that be? Henry, you've seen the Disney movies. Why don't you rank them for us?"

"Maleficent is awesome. She transforms into a fire-breathing dragon. Plus she's Angelina Jolie. Enough said."

"Mmhm," Emma nodded, going along with it. "Good point. Anyone who defeated her would have to be some kind of badass wouldn't they."

"Yep. Next there's Ursula the Sea Witch. Because she turns into a giant octopus at the end and causes a whirlpool in the ocean. Impersonating someone else is a cool tactic for evildoing. She wasn't just going to break them up she was going to marry the Prince herself. That's twisting the knife."

"Valid argument."

"Then it's Jafar. He was awesome for most of it but getting tricked into becoming a genie was pretty stupid. He gets on the list for having a great minion and for the whole strategy to manipulate the Sultan psychologically. He plays the long game."

"Impressive list," said Emma slyly. "I notice you didn't mention a certain someone."

"Who?"

There was a beat of silence. The bait had been laid and the trap was set. Emma kept waiting for Regina to jump in and stop her or correct any of the misleading things she'd said and tell Henry the truth instead. Or be irritated enough to defend the badassery of her fairytale alter-ego. But she never did. Until now.

Regina grabbed Emma's arm and dragged her up off the couch. Between gritted teeth she said, "A word in the kitchen, please."

"As long as there's nothing dangerous in there," came Emma's retort. "... except you of course."

Once they were alone (out of earshot of a curious yet strangely skeptical Henry) they whispered to each other in vehement tones.

"I know what you're doing, you're trying to get me to confess my identity. You are not to tell him, Emma," Regina snapped.

"What else can I do?" she shrugged defensively. "He knows too much now to be satisfied with anything less than the truth. You're a huge part of the explanation."

"I don't want him to know who I am."

"He still loved you the whole time when he knew you were the Evil Queen. You didn't even make his Top Three Badass Evil Villains. He probably thinks of you as a crone with a basket of apples who ends up falling off a cliff."

"Yes, and that's better how?"

"He'll come around when we explain it to him. Trust me."

"With no context for it he will not understand the evil things I've done. Not all of them are in the distant past. I've done more than hand out poisoned apples. I never wanted him to know."

"But that's who you used to be. You're assuming that he won't see who you are now instead. Don't think I don't see how much you've changed. You were able to go all the way to the dark side and fight your way back. In some ways that's more impressive than if you were good the whole time. Henry's a smart kid. He knows my history so he knows that sometimes decent people have a past they're not proud of. Give him the chance to judge for himself. He loves you, he just doesn't remember it right now."

Regina shook her head. "I don't want him to know I'm his mother."

Emma startled, not expecting that at all. "But why?"

"Because you will have to tell him the whole story. About how you gave him up for adoption at birth. He doesn't remember me, he only has memories of you. Think of how much it'll hurt him to know that you gave him up. It will be like losing the only mother he has ever known. Spare him that pain."

"Oh, I know what that's like. I  _know_. But it's already hurting all three of us! The secrets are choking the life out of you. The truth will be painful for him. Whatever I do here it's going to hurt both of you in the long run. I can't keep doing this."

"I would rather hurt myself than him. Don't you remember when you first met him? He hated me. He was so upset when he realised he was adopted-"

The two women jumped at the voice behind them. A twelve-year-old boy was standing in the doorway with his hands stuffed in his hoodie pocket. Their son had been eavesdropping again.

"I'm adopted?" said Henry in disbelief.

* * *

Emma went over and reached out to comfort him but he flinched away. "Henry, I'm so sorry-"

"You're not really my Mom?"

"Yeah I am, I gave birth to you," said Emma breathlessly in a rush until the words stuck in her throat.  _Just say it, like ripping off a band-aid._   _Get it over with._ "I put you up for adoption. I didn't raise you for the first ten years. Only this last year was real."

"What? Th-that's crazy. I remember everything we did together, when I was little..."

"Your memories aren't real, I wish they were. I wish I was there for you when you were growing up. But it's not the way it really happened."

Henry was clearly struggling to deal with the news. He was confused and definitely hurt, Emma could tell he was trying to be brave though. Trying to tell himself that it couldn't be real. It must have been torturous to hear contradictions to the happy memories he held in his mind. But he would also know that there could be no other reason why his mother would say such things if they weren't in fact true.

"You gave me away?" asked Henry. "You didn't want me?"

"I did," Emma choked up, and her eyes filled with tears. "I wanted to keep you so badly. I wanted a family of my own. But I was so young, I was just a stupid kid at the time. I wanted you to have a better chance in life than I could give you. I wanted you to have a home. I was in jail and even once I got out I didn't have a home to go to myself let alone one to give you."

Henry was fighting it but he started to cry as well despite trying to hold it in. "I feel awful."

"I know, but there is some good stuff in the memories you don't have. I promise."

"I'm not sure I believe you. If you weren't around what happened to me? Where did I go?"

"You weren't alone, you went to a family who wanted you. You had a Mom who gave you a really good life. C'mere, I want you to meet someone."

Emma held out her arm and tucked her son under her wing. He was getting so tall now. She remembered back to when she first met him and he was so little and cute. She hadn't known him for long and he was growing up so fast it was unbelievable. Sometimes she wanted to slow down the march of time so that she could spend more of it with him.

The two of them were teary and sniffling. Emma was over fearing the worst for this conversation, afraid that Henry would be devastated, but he was taking it better than expected. That only left one more person whose pain she could alleviate. She had a plan for that too.

It must have been strange for Henry that Regina had been watching the whole thing silently. It would have made him wonder what the real connection was between her and his Mom. It was strange that they had had this very important conversation in an acquaintance's kitchen.

But Regina was not unaffected by observing it. In fact, she looked terrified stiff.

Emma led Henry to stand in front of Regina like she was going to introduce them, as she had the first time.

Henry was confused. "Madam Mayor? But, Mom, I already know her. Kinda."

"Regina is your Mom too. She adopted you when you were a little baby and brought you to Storybrooke. This is where you lived with her, it's your home. That's kinda why we're here."

Henry tipped his head and stared at his adoptive mother's face like he was seeing it for the first time, which technically he was. He had no memory to trace for familiarity, but the way she was looking back at him was most definitely not that of a random stranger.

The boy gave her a very familiar lopsided look. "Regina? You're my Mom? I have two mothers?"

"Yes," Regina whispered. "I've missed you, Henry."

"Mom said you had a son who was lost… someone you loved very much. That was me?"

Regina nodded, but she couldn't help smiling a bittersweet smile for her son. A single tear broke and trailed down her cheek. "I know it's strange because you don't remember, but I want you to know that no matter what you hear being said about me in this town, I do love you. I always have."

Henry suddenly became shy. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything."

"Um, so that's why you were shocked to see me that day when we first came to Storybrooke. At the diner?"

"Yes, I didn't think I would get to see you ever again. It was… a surprise."

Henry's brow furrowed. "So what happened? If only last year was real, how did my real memories from before that get overwritten by fake ones? And if Emma and I have lived in New York for a whole year why weren't you with us?"

Emma sighed. "It's a long story, kid."

All of a sudden a grin flashed over Henry's face and he was off and running with a new theory. "Ha, I bet I know what happened! That's why we're here isn't it? Because of Regina. She loves you. We had to leave and for some reason she got left behind, but you couldn't forget her could you, Mom? You came back for her. You love her too. That's why you guys are always whispering behind my back and sneaking around to be together. It all makes sense. It's so weird that you're my parents and magic is real. The three of us are a family. We have a home. This is awesome! There was a fairytale right under my nose the whole time."

Regina stammered. "But she doesn't - that's not really it - we're not -"

"You've read too many books, kid," Emma muttered. She laughed nervously under her breath and raked her hand through her long blonde hair.

"Whatever," Henry grinned knowingly from one mother to the other. "I'm starving. I'm gonna go make some pancakes."

After the kid disappeared things didn't get any less awkward. Emma wasn't sure which was worse. He had gone from devastation at the news that he was adopted to thrilled at the idea of having two parents. He was going to be disappointed when he found out that she and Regina weren't really together. Not in the past, not now, and probably not ever.

"Um, how are you doing. You ok after that?" said Emma.

Regina rolled her eyes. "You act like I'm going to burst into tears every time I interact with him. I'm fine. Or I would be if you'd stop asking me that every five seconds."

"You are not fine."

"Only because you are irritating me by asking me if I'm ok."

"I only ask because I want to know! Because I-" …  _care about the answer. Fuck it, it's true and you won't let me tell you._

The finish to her sentence was in the air unsaid. Regina heard it.

"Then maybe you should think about the consequences of what you're doing before they end up hurting me. Are you intending to take my son back to New York after this is over? Are you going to cosy up to the handless wonder and let him co-parent Henry with you? I will not allow you to push me aside on this."

"No," said Emma firmly. "Henry-stuff is between you and me. But if we stay, you and I gotta figure something out. Something healthy that works for all of us. Playing tug-o-war over the kid is not ok. We can't go back to doing that all over again."

"I know that," Regina snapped. "But you don't get to make decisions for him by yourself. He's my son too."

"And now he knows that too. He seems ok with the news, even though he doesn't remember you. He's always had this fantasy of having a big family. I'm worried that he's got this idea in his head now… about us being together."

"Well, he's going to be disappointed. It's natural for children to want their parents to be together, but it doesn't necessarily make it a good idea. He has a very active imagination. But he will see reality. "

Emma glared and crossed her arms. "There's a solution here, if you'd quit being so stubborn."

Regina obviously wasn't going to pretend she didn't understand what was meant by that. Her eyes flashed dangerously and her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Oh. You're saying that we ought to get together so that I can be mother to your child because it's convenient for you? Why does this sound so familiar. It almost feels as if I've lived it before."

"Godammit Regina, I didn't mean it like that! I am NOT like my grandfather. I just us want to-... forget it. You're determined to hate me so why should I bother."

_Argh! Why does she have to be so excruciatingly difficult?!_  Emma was ready to tear her hair out in frustration. She had not meant it like that at all. The last thing she wanted was any kind of arrangement like Regina's first marriage.

Regina murmured to herself and shook her head. She looked up directly into Emma's eyes, showing half-fire and half-pleading. "Why do I keep living this over and over? I was Snow's Stepmother, I'm Henry's 'other' Mom, even with Robin I'm- … I'll always be second to the memory of someone's dead wife. I can't live like that. When do I get to be thought of as the first in someone's heart?"

"Do you really love this Robin guy?" asked Emma, dropping her tone. "Or do you love the idea of being in love? Of having somebody. Because there's a hell of difference between the two, and I know how tempting it is to want someone just so that you're not alone. I've been there. But if this guy thinks of you as a second chance, or as a consolation, then he's stupider than he looks."

_If I had you,_  thought Emma, _if you were mine I would hardly be able to think of anyone else. The rest of the world would fade away and the only one I'd see would be you. Standing in front of me in that fucking gorgeous red dress that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe put together._

"Robin is a good man," said Regina, almost defensively.

"He probably is," Emma conceded. "And if he truly makes you happy then that's enough for me. I'll back off. But I'm selfish enough to say that I wish you would make another choice."

_I wish you would choose me._

"What are you saying, Emma? I don't have your superpower. I can't tell when you're telling me the truth."

"I'm not lying and I'm not leading you on. When I came here this morning to make you breakfast I was going to make my intentions clear. But I can't read your mind, you have to give me a little something to go on. If you keep pushing me away you will succeed. I want you in my life. What do you want?"

Regina looked as vulnerable as Emma had ever seen her when she answered. "I want Henry. I want you both to stay in Storybrooke. I want us to-"

"Yeah?"

_Say it. Please say it. God, you're killing me. I need to know._

Regina's face said it all, but the words were stuck. Her lips parted slightly. Whatever she had been about to say, the moment was broken by the curse of modern technology.

Da-ding-ding!

Emma nearly jumped out of her skin when the phone in her back pocket rang. She exhaled and fished out the device to check the screen. There was a new message from David saying that Mary Margaret had gone into labour and they were about to go to the hospital.

Emma was about to become a big sister. That alone was a scary thought which she didn't have the time to process right now. She had to focus on the real danger. Zelena wanted the newest Charming child for whatever nefarious plan she had that involved baby parts, a heart, and some courage.

"Is something wrong?" said Regina, frowning.

"Yeah, my Mom's in labour, which means they're both in more danger than ever. I have to protect my family. Zelena's after the baby."

"You're more powerful than she is."

"Only because of what you've taught me. I guess we'll soon see if those magic lessons have paid off."

"What do you want me to do?" said Regina.

"Help me."

Emma stepped closer to her, trying to show her what she felt. To get her help, to be sincere for once, hoping that she'd understand how dire the situation was. She hoped desperately that they could all let go of the past and forget whatever tension was between them for the moment and do what they had to do. They could achieve so much if they worked together, they had the power to move celestial bodies and open portals to other realms. All they had to do this time was protect one tiny important life.

_Help me. Come with me. I need you._

It was as if she'd said those thoughts aloud.

Emma wasn't sure if she imagined it but she thought she saw a small smile appear before Regina turned away. In three seconds the woman in red swept up her keys and went into the kitchen to quickly round up Henry so that the three of them could head for the hospital.

The baby was on its way.


	5. Part 5

_Storybrooke Hospital, Maternity Ward_

"You're giving me that face," said Emma.

She felt the look rather than saw it. The disapproval didn't stop her from bouncing her knee like she had been doing continually for the last ten minutes. That was probably why Regina was glaring at her.

"What face?" said Regina.

"Your 'Emma's-existence-is-irritating-to-me' face."

"I hardly know what other face to make. That is my normal face."

"How about one that says: 'Emma is awesome, I'm so in love. Wow, I wonder how she got arms like those?' Then you could give a little sigh and stare off into the distance like you're pining for me. Your face is cinematic. I like it. I bet you could play the tortured anti-heroine pretty well."

"I don't pine. Does it amuse you to listen to the sound of your own voice?"

"Whatever. Don't pretend you're not bored too."

Without a word, Emma held out the bag of corn chips as a peace offering just as Regina reached for some. It was a sorry meal compared to the romantic pancake breakfast she had planned. The hospital cafeteria wasn't open to the public yet. They only managed to scrounge together enough coins for a single item from the vending machine, which had probably not been re-stocked since Storybrooke came into existence.

Mary Margaret was still progressing in labour. When they first got to the Maternity Ward David came out to see Emma for a moment to say hello but she sent him straight back inside to be with his wife. She promised over and over that she would be fine to stand up to Zelena without her parents.

With Regina's help Emma managed to construct protection spells on all of the entrances and exits. They warned the nursing staff and, by laying down the clout of both the former Sheriff and the Mayor, convinced them to move all of the other patients to another part of the hospital for safety. The now-empty quiet halls glowed with white magic.

Now the two women were sitting in what had to be the most uncomfortable plastic bench in all the realms. They had been waiting for it but there was no sign of trouble yet. Henry became bored quickly and was off exploring somewhere.

"We've been here for hours," complained Emma. She scrunched the empty foil chip packet into a ball and threw it across the corridor. "Is Zelena ever gonna turn up?"

"She will if she wants that baby. They're better fresh I hear."

"So are we supposed to just sit here and wait? Until she flies in on her broomstick thumbing for a hitch?"

Regina shrugged. "Yes."

"This is boring. We should talk or something."

"Or we could sit here in silence and occasionally listen to your mother scream bloody murder."

Right on cue Mary Margaret let out a cry of pain, audible from outside in the hall. Emma flinched. She noticed Regina grimace as well, but couldn't tell whether it was out of pity for the pregnant woman or discomfort at the close proximity with her former mortal enemy.

"Are you enjoying this?" asked Emma.

"About as much as she is actually," said Regina.

Emma's mouth dropped open and then she laughed. "You think waiting out here is painful? You did not just say that. To me! The one who went through eight hours of excruciating labour to bring your son into the world."

Regina was trying her best not to smirk. "It can't be that hard. You just have to lie there."

"But - wh- you-" Emma spluttered. "Oh, you've really crossed the line now. I'm not talking to you anymore."

"Finally."

* * *

_Little hearts gift shop_

Henry perused the hospital gift shop's card display with a careful eye, looking for the perfect one. There was only a small collection and so far they didn't seem to have what he was looking for. Did Hallmark even make a card that said: " _Hey, I just found out that you're my Mom. Yay!"_

It was a hospital so most of the offerings were focused around new babies and birth announcements. Not really what he was going for. There was a single one about adoption, and it looked promising until he read the salutation on the inside:

_That's one lucky baby you've chosen, Mommy and Daddy_

Sigh. That wasn't right either.

Regina - his other Mom - had interrupted breakfast this morning to say that Emma's friend Mary Margaret was having her baby and that they were going to the hospital to be with her. But he hadn't expected it to take so long though. They'd been sitting around for ages so he went off to explore the hospital, which turned out to be boring too.

Everything was still weird and new. He'd only just found out that he had another Mom that he didn't know anything about. Regina. The Mayor. The lady who looked at him strangely. Her eyes tracked him constantly whenever she was around, which was a lot of the time. He had wondered why she came over so much since she didn't seem to be friends with Mary Margaret and the others.

Now he knew why- it was because of him and Emma. Regina was the missing part of their family, the one that they'd both forgotten while living in New York.

She seemed nice. They'd talked - over icecream and a duck pond - but they hadn't  _really_  talked. Henry hadn't known he was talking to his mother at the time. It did explain a lot, like why an important lady like the Mayor had bothered to show a twelve-year-old around town, and why she knew his favourite icecream flavour, and why she listened to everything he said with interest.

Probably he shouldn't have told her about that time he and his friends cut school to go to Times Square. Did she have the power to ground him retrospectively?

"Do you need any help, young man?" A smiling elderly lady appeared at his side and gestured to the wall of cards. She wore the maroon apron of the hospital volunteers and a tiny gold cross on a chain.

"I'm trying to find a card for my Mom," said Henry. "But I can't find the right one."

"Oh, how sweet of you. I see you're perusing the baby cards. Is your mother here in the hospital? Are you excited about getting a new brother or sister?"

"Huh? No, that's not it. I just found out that she's my Mom this morning from my other Mom. I don't remember her and I don't know what to say to her but I want to say something… anyway, I thought maybe a card."

The shop lady frowned. "I don't think they make cards for that."

"They should," said Henry, with a lift of his chin. He grabbed a card at random. "I'll take this one, please."

* * *

If the noise was anything to go by Mary Margaret's pains were getting stronger and more frequent. Hopefully for all of their sakes it would not be much longer before Baby Charming made his or her appearance in the world.

Regina was secretly convinced it was a boy. Because then Snow White and her Prince would have two children, a daughter and a son, and that would be perfect. Everything they did was disgustingly perfect so why not this?  _The universe aligns itself in favour of those two idiots_ , she thought darkly. The latest evidence of their idiocy was allowing the woman who had nearly abducted their first child to help with the protection of their second.

_Idiots._

Poor Emma had no chance, having been fished out of that gene pool. But at least her special brand of idiocy was endearing. Regina intended to test the limits of Nature by nurturing the effect of the Charming Gene out of her son. He was already very smart and doing so well in school. It made her glow with pride (and then there was the relief that Emma hadn't undone all of her good work from during his early years).

Regina wondered where Henry was now. He had been fidgety and awkward waiting around with her and Emma before. It reminded her of when he was very young and couldn't sit still. Back then she hadn't believed how much energy it required to run around after a toddler until she lived through it. She'd turn her back for a second and he'd be gone, off and running towards new mischief. The memories made her smile.

Those memories were all she had of the past now and no-one shared them. Those precious reminders of family life… she couldn't imagine losing them. Sometimes it seemed they were all she had. She had none of her son's photos or school awards or drawings anymore. They'd all disappeared with the curse.

Henry didn't suffer from not remembering her though and she was thankful for it. He remembered a happy childhood within which only the identity of the parental figure had changed. There was no perceivable difference between fake memories and real memories. According to him, he and Emma had always been together as a family.

Regina wasn't sure where she fitted in with them now. She couldn't resume her former place in his life because everything had changed. She wasn't his one and only Mommy anymore. That was still hard to swallow.

Emma's suggestion when they first arrived that she meet Henry without telling him the truth had been hard enough. Regina had to physically stop herself every time she went to hug him or touch him. She was bursting with wanting to tell him how much she loved him and how proud he made her every single day as she witnessed the wonderful young person he was growing into.

Now that he knew she was his mother it was still hard to know how to act around him. What should she say? What should she do? Would he be ok with it if she reached for him or kissed him? Could she tell him 'I love you' without making him feel guilty for not remembering whether he loved her back?

Emma was absurdly optimistic that everything would be fine now. She was Regina's second problem.

Emma  _wanted_  her, she had said so this morning. That had been the reason behind the surprise visit. She had wanted to find out whether there was a chance for… what?

What were they? What could they have together?

Emma wanted to know what Regina wanted and nearly got her to answer the question. But what if she didn't want as much as Regina wanted? What if she did?

Regina had been on the verge of confessing just how much she felt for her when they'd been interrupted thanks to Mary Margaret's impeccable timing. The moment was passed. She could break the silence between them now and just come out and say it. It felt like standing at the edge of the water, wanting to dive in but fearing the initial temperature shock. She couldn't convince herself to do it - the jump was too steep.

She heard Emma's impatient sigh yet again. "I hope everything's going ok. It's been a while since the doctor came by."

"I'm sure your mother is fine," said Regina. "She has your father's hand to crush. She's done this before, remember? Although considering what happened the first time I understand why she's making a second attempt."

"Thanks a lot."

"No, I meant-" she started to explain. "You know very well what I meant."

"I do." Emma smiled.

Regina couldn't help asking, wanting to know everything about her son's origins. "Were you alone?"

"Was I alone when?"

"When you had Henry."

"Oh," said Emma. "Not technically. I know you think I gave birth in a jail cell by myself and cut his cord with my teeth, but I went to an actual hospital you know. It was just me, the doctor, the midwife, and a guard."

"A guard?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "To make sure I wasn't going to escape I guess. What did they think I was going to do? Fake labour so that I could waddle out of hospital and run off? I was in no state to do anything except moan and curse Neal out. I certainly wasn't planning any elaborate escapes."

"I didn't get the chance to tell you after the funeral that I'm sorry about Neal."

"Thanks. But I'm ... okay. It's Henry I'm worried about. He knows his Dad is gone, but it won't hit him until he gets his memories back. Neal's dead and now I have to pick up the pieces for both of us."

Regina noticed that Emma had crossed her arms and stopped making eye contact. "You don't seem ok? Fair's fair, you've been pestering me with the same question."

"It's just that - " Emma shook her head. "He broke my heart, he set me up to got to jail for him, and then I found out I was pregnant. I was still in love with him and I was stupid enough to hope that if he knew about the baby he might come back and explain that it was all a mistake. I had this whole fantasy scenario drawn up in my head: Neal would take the baby and then we'd move to Tallahassee after I got released. Even though I knew it was ridiculous I wanted him there so that I wouldn't be alone for once, so that I'd have someone there to hold my hand. Then I hated myself for wanting someone who had hurt me so badly. I was barely eighteen and I had no idea what to do. I don't know which was more terrifying - the thought of raising the baby alone or having to give him up. In my mind I've lived both now."

"Neither of us has to raise him alone anymore. I think we can agree on that at least."

"Yeah, I think we've spent our last day arguing over who gets to have our son."

"Especially since," Regina took a pause and exhaled slowly. "With my sister out to get me, I may not have a future with him at all."

"Hey, Henry's going to be a teenager soon. You aren't getting out of it that easy. I won't let you."

Regina smiled wryly. "Think it'll be more painful than childbirth? Parenting an adolescent?"

"Don't know, but I guess we'll soon find out."

Emma said 'we' again, as in both of them. It seemed like she wasn't going to take Henry away to New York. Perhaps she meant what she'd said about them staying here and becoming a family. The three of them together?

_She is trying to open the door for you. All you have to do is step through it._

"If it does turn out to be more painful than childbirth..." Regina swallowed hard, taking one last second to re-think what she was about to do. "You won't be alone this time and I suppose you may crush my hand if it becomes excruciating."

She reached over to take Emma's hand, causing her eyes to dart up at the physical contact. Their eyes met. Regina had a vague thought they hadn't touched each other often, and perhaps for good reason. It would be hard to conceal how drawn she felt to Emma whenever they did. She was used to feeling magic in her hands but this was something different. It was some other kind of unfamiliar magic.

Emma seemed to be affected too. She looked down at their hands and then back up with a small smile growing.

Then a new voice interrupted the moment.

"Swan! A little assistance getting past this magic mist, please?"

* * *

It was Hook. He was standing on the other side of the magical protection spell that had been created to block the hallways from unwanted intruders.

Emma rolled her eyes, cursing the day she was born. She was certain that Regina had been about to tell her something important. Trust Hook to show up at the most inopportune time. She glared in his direction while making no move to get up. "Hook, what are you doing here?"

"I heard the little Prince was on his way."

Emma pushed herself off the bench and strolled over to meet him. "That's something that's going to happen with or without you here. Zelena is who we're worried about."

"I thought I might be of some help. I have guided many a vessel through rough waters during my time as an honorable naval officer, you know. I am well-versed in defensive manoeuvres."

"Are you familiar with strategic retreat?" said Regina. "Perhaps you can demonstrate it right now and get the hell out of our sight."

Emma noticed Regina come to stand beside her with a flat glare and crossed arms. Despite her feminine appearance her attitude was positively territorial. Emma was taken aback at first, looking confusedly between her two 'suitors' who were on either side of the vertical protection spell staring each other down. The only conclusion she could reach was that at least one of them was jealous of the other.

It was amusing as hell… for about five seconds.

"Now, now, your Majesty," said Hook with a leer. "Let's have a fair fight shall we? Let the best man win. Seems you're at a disadvantage in that area. You've no 'sword', as it were."

"That's never stopped me before."

"Well, in that case you're welcome to join us if you'd like."

Regina scoffed. "Hardly. I'm sure that it can't be very comfortable being caressed by a deadly weapon, but I wouldn't know. Emma, what do you think?"

They both turned to Emma, who was becoming increasingly annoyed by fairytale characters having pissing contests over her. Both of them were looked at her with expressions that showed they were convinced she was going to agree with their side and not the other's.

"What I think," Emma emphasised. "Is that it's ridiculous to discuss this right now. I'm here to protect the baby and Mary Margaret. I'm interested in what's happening to her vagina, not mine."

It took half a second to register their bug-eyed stares and to realise what she'd said.

"That came out wrong," she muttered.

David poked his head out of the maternity room and when he saw the three of them in the hallway he came over. Emma thought she could use her father to intimidate the other two into behaving but as it turned out he only added fuel to the fire of old grievances.

"Why is Hook behind that white mist?" asked David.

"It's the protection spell-" started Emma.

Regina interrupted. "It's to keep the undesirables away while your wife gives birth, David. It appears to be working so far."

Hook raised an eyebrow at her. "Says the woman who poisoned said wife and then cursed the entire land. Most would say you ought to be on this side as well, Regina. How many times have you tried to kill these people you claim to be protecting? Mary Margaret must have nine lives and she's needed all of them with you."

"Hook, cut it out," said Emma. "That's ancient history now."

"Last year is ancient history is it?"

David sighed and turned to his daughter. "Let him past. We could use the extra manpower."

"By all means," said Regina sarcastically. "Let the riff-raff in. It's only your youngest born's life at stake. You can always get another where that one came from."

"Regina," he growled.

The Mayor continued. "Oh, you don't like what I'm insinuating? Some of us treasure the children we already have and we don't try to replace them because they grew up outside our presence for a time. Will you keep trying until you get the son you've been waiting for, David? You might like to get to know the child you already have. You could take her fishing perhaps. I'm sure she'd love to go with her Daddy, despite being a weak and delicate girl of course."

"I know who my daughter is," said David fiercely. "I would never want to replace her. Weak is the last thing I'd ever call Emma."

"I didn't know you were keen to be an angler, Swan," Hook said, sounding impressed. "I'd be happy to take you aboard my ship and show you the ropes."

Regina gave a tiny moan and looked her up and down with brazen suggestiveness. "I can show you how ropes are tied up too, dear."

Emma glared. "Stop it, both of you. Or you can wait outside in the parking lot with the dwarves and annoy each other instead of me."

David asked the question he had ventured out to ask. "Any sign of Zelena?"

"Not yet," said Emma. "I'm sick of waiting around here doing nothing! I should take the fight to her. Bring the witch down before she gets a chance to strike the hospital."

"Okay," her father nodded. "Go see if she's at the farmhouse. But be careful. Take Hook with you."

"No," said Emma firmly. "We can't trust him."

"Hey," Hook objected.

Emma side-eyed the pirate and propped her hands on her hips. "You lied to me about Henry and Zelena has something over you. I can't trust you after that."

"He did it to protect you," said David. "I can understand why-"

"Yeah, because you know so much about lying to your family under the guise of protecting them don't you?"

"Don't backchat me, young lady. That was different."

"I'm going to fight a battle with an evil witch who has magic. I'm the Saviour, I'm the one with magic. I don't need anyone getting in the way."

"You go with Hook or you don't go at all."

Emma gestured to the pirate. "He has one hand! What is he going to do - poke Zelena in the eye?"

David shrugged. "Use him as a human shield."

"Thanks, mate," groused Hook. "Thought we were friends."

Mary Margaret let out a scream of pain from her room that snapped their attention in her direction, reminding them all what was really important at the present moment. She must've been getting pretty close to the end, Emma realised. It hurt more than she expected to hear her mother in so much pain. It was really strange. Most thirty-year-olds did not become brand new big sisters. In a bizarre way it was almost as if she were witnessing what her own birth would have been like.

_Apart from the evil witch coming to-... wait, scratch that. It's exactly the same, but with a witch of a different colour._

Regina grabbed David's arm and shoved him towards Mary Margaret's room. "Go. Hold her hand. You're the one who got her into that state."

Hook sighed impatiently and let his leather-clad arms slap against his sides. "Is somebody going to let me past this spell anytime soon?"

"No," Emma and Regina said in unison, then looked at each other for a beat.

Emma suggested to Hook, "You can go downstairs and guard the Western entrance with the Merry Men."

She was hoping that it would satisfy his need to be here and also to convince Regina to lower her hackles. She gave Regina another look and then turned on her heel, heading in the opposite direction towards the fire stairs at the end of the corridor.

"Where are you going?" called Regina.

"On a witch hunt."

Emma could feel a pair of eyes burning a hole in her denim jacket the whole time but the familiar click of stilettos wasn't following her. When she reached the stairwell, with one hand on the strip that said 'FIRE DOOR' she turned and raised a glance at Regina.

"You coming with me or not?"


	6. Part 6

_Eastern entrance, Storybrooke Hospital_

 

“What was all that about?” asked Emma as they gathered their coats in the foyer ready to go outside. Regina was to magically transport them both to the farmhouse where they knew Zelena had been hiding.

 

“I don’t know what you mean.” Regina buttoned her jacket, pretending not to know what the other woman was referring to.

 

“Back there. You. Posturing in front of Hook. Looking at me like that in front of David and telling him off about not getting to know me. What’s going on with you?”

 

Regina set her teeth. “You asked me to help protect your mother and the baby. That’s what I was doing. What is the point of constructing magical barriers if you’re intending to let through anyone who asks? He could have been Zelena in disguise for all you know.”

 

“I realise he has a sketchy past but he’s trying to be a good guy now... I think.”

 

“Are you serious? He’s spun you a line about wanting to change and you’ve fallen for it!”

 

Emma listed off Hook’s weak list of attributes. “He helped Ariel and Eric. He apologised to Belle. He’s been good with Henry...”

 

Regina rolled her eyes. “Yes, and all of those actions were oh-so sincere. Wake up to yourself, Emma. He sold me out to those imbeciles Greg and Tamara to get tortured, which I’ll remind you was an action that resulted in Pan’s abduction of Henry in Neverland. That in turn led to this new curse and the fact that my son doesn’t know who I am anymore. Your precious Killian is a pirate. He will switch sides in an instant if he thinks it will serve his selfish interests. He’s only turned over this new leaf because he thinks it’ll win you over. It appears to be working.”

 

"Are you jealous? Look, he's the kind of guy I probably would have dated when I was younger and stupid. But I'm not going to get myself into that kind of thing anymore, no matter how many times he asks. As for turning over a new leaf, I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. Like I’m giving you.”

 

“You’re comparing me to  _him_?!” Regina cried indignantly.

 

“No,” Emma denied it. “I’m not comparing anyone. This isn’t a competition. I’m not going to choose the villain who has the best redemption strategy or the one who tries to impress me the most. Neal and Hook thought the same thing and it really pissed me off. I already told you what I want. You don’t need to fight for what you already have, Regina. You’re always looking for battles that don’t exist. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing, only worry about what you’re doing. If you let yourself I think you’ll find that you’ve already won.”

 

“But I haven’t -- I can’t--”

 

“Yeah, you can. You just have to step up on to the podium and accept it. But I think you’re afraid.”

 

Regina grumbled. “I’m afraid that no-one is ever going to see what I’ve done. What I’ve tried so hard to do… Nothing I do seems to matter to anyone.”

 

“Hey,” Emma entreated softly reaching out to her. “It does to me. I know how far you’d go for Henry and I’ve seen how hard you’re working on changing your life around. I know what it’s like, when every day passes so slowly and you just want to move forward. It feels as if it’s taking forever but in the meantime you gotta deal with the stares and the snide comments and with people trying to tell you who you are. But you can be whoever you want.”

 

Regina wasn’t so sure about that. There were some mistakes in life that one couldn’t come back from -- and she’d made plenty of those. She’d crossed the moral event horizon and there was no turning back. People would never forget it, they would never forget her actions as the Evil Queen. And nor should they, she supposed. Regina knew all about holding grudges for decades. She hadn’t forgotten the wrongs that had been perpetrated against her in her youth either.

 

The former queen knew she’d never qualify as a hero no matter what Emma and Henry thought. Heroes didn’t kill for revenge as she had done. Heroes didn’t slip up time and time again. Heroes didn’t have to convince everyone of their goodness. Nothing she did in the future could erase the past and it would never be ameliorated.

 

She had hurt the two most important people in her life -- hurt them so thoroughly that there was no point in seeking forgiveness for it. The only path was to move forward and even if she could never be deserving, she could be better than she was. For them. If that was possible for her to achieve.

 

Regina loved them enough to want better than herself for them. Giving them up the first time had depleted her capacity for selfless grand gestures. But she loved them too much to be able to let them go a second time. The paradox was frustrating.

 

Had she really changed? Maybe her new loyalty was an act covering up selfish motives too. Just like the pining pirate’s. They had both seemingly changed their villainous ways, both of them were laying claim to Emma. What was the difference between he and Regina?

 

_The difference is,_  Regina thought angrily,  _that Hook’s supposed sainthood is contingent upon his pathetic crush on Emma, whereas I did it without any hope of ever being able to tell her what is truly in my heart. I would never have said anything if she hadn’t returned to Storybrooke and started the conversation first._

 

_Even now, as she hints of her earlier confession, the thought of having her seems impossible. I knowingly ruined her life before she was born… and then fell in love with her decades later. How cruel fate has been to us both. She should have had better than her lonely childhood. She should have had everything._

 

_Nobody believed I was genuine in wanting to change -- not even her -- and I wasn’t at first. All I wanted was Henry at any cost. But I realised I was so tired of being myself, and then being called a villain by my own son was the last straw. The wake-up call._

 

But perhaps her goodness was in fact transient. Even if Regina could be called a ‘hero’ today, what would it take for the Evil Queen to return? She had to fight that darkness every single day, as Mary Margaret had been perceptive enough to say. She still had access to dark magic, it was the only power source she had. She could use it to destroy Emma in an instant.

 

Could she risk allowing herself to get that close to her? Close enough to love, so much so that she would hardly need her hand to rip the heart right out of Emma’s chest in order to crush it… instead she could do it with a single hateful look or a word of romantic betrayal.

 

“This is exactly how you got pregnant,” said Regina.

 

Emma looked around them amused at the apparent non-sequitur. “Arguing with you in a hospital foyer is how I got pregnant? I seem to recall there was more nakedness involved.”

 

“No, I’m talking about  _that_.” Regina pointed in the general direction of the past where Hook had last been seen. “You have to stop trusting so easily.”

 

“Me?” Emma made a noise of disbelief. “I don’t trust anyone. It’s screwed me up so badly that I can barely relate to my own parents. The last long-term relationship I had was with a guy who turned out to be a flying monkey and the one before that was a realm-jumping thief from another land. I have enough trust issues ok. I don’t need you to warn me off relationships.”

 

“I meant stop trusting people with your heart so easily. Take care you don’t fall for someone who doesn’t intend to treat it well. You seem to attract such treacherous love interests, dear.”

 

“Are you including yourself in that? Or is it just Hook and Neal and everyone else I’ve dated.”

 

“Yes,” Regina confessed in a softer tone. “I’m the worst of all.”

 

“Why.”

 

“Because if you give me your heart I don’t intend to ever let it go.”

 

 

Henry made his way past the waiting area for the elevators. He’d been gone for a while and was heading back to his Moms to see if the baby had arrived yet. Hopefully the boring waiting part would be over and he’d get to find out if he had a new baby Uncle or an Aunt. Maybe they’d let him have a hold.

 

Regina had been right in what she’d said that day she’d showed him around town. When he confided in her his wish to have a bigger family she smiled like she knew a secret. As it turned out he did have more family than he knew what to do with -- and what a strange family structure it was. While they were waiting around Emma had told him who Mary Margaret and David really were to them. His grandparents were younger than his mother and he would be older than his other mother’s new sibling. The weirdest part was that they were fairytale characters from a magical land.

 

He wondered who else he was related to in this town? What other secrets was Mom -- Emma -- keeping from him?

 

_Whatever it is, I’m going to find out._

 

The elevator dinged. He was going to step in when out of the corner of his eye he spotted two familiar figures looking like they were about to leave through the automatic doors in the hospital foyer. Two women wearing similar black coats like they were heading outside into the cold. One was blonde, the other was brunette. They were talking about something intense.

 

Henry heard Regina saying something. “... I don’t intend to ever let it go.”

 

“Moms!” he called.

 

Henry jogged over to them. “Is the baby here yet?”

 

“Um, not yet, kid,” said Emma, looking around warily. “Go back upstairs and wait outside the room ok?”

 

“Where are you going? Why are you leaving if the baby’s not here already? Why were you about to leave me here alone without telling me where you were going.”

 

“It’s -- we’ve got to go do something -- a thing. Then we’ll be back. I promise.”

 

Regina added, “Stay in the Maternity Ward.”

 

Henry frowned stubbornly. “Why? Is this about the person who killed my Dad?”

 

Emma’s hand covered her eyes.

 

“That’s a yes isn’t it. Tell me! Why won’t you tell me? I thought you weren’t going to lie to me anymore. This is so unfair. You  _never_ want to talk about him. I have a right to know!”

 

“Henry!” Emma's patience finally snapped as she lost her temper with him. “You don’t need to know right at this minute. Go upstairs and wait. Do as you’re told. Now!"

 

Henry was taken aback, shocked at being yelled at. Especially in a public area with Regina standing right there. It was embarrassing. His Mom had basically dismissed his questions and told him to go away like he was some little kid who couldn’t hand the truth. She hardly ever talked to him in that tone of voice. It made him feel about two feet tall.

 

“Fine,” he muttered. He scuffed his boots on the shiny lino floor and was about to leave when a gentle hand touched his elbow.

 

“Henry,” said Regina. “This is very important. You need to stay in the Maternity Ward for your own safety. There’s someone… wicked who is threatening to take Mary Margaret’s baby away. She knows your mother and I are here to protect them and she could use you to get to us.”

 

“Who would steal a baby that wasn’t theirs?”

 

“You’d be surprised how hard it is to acquire one. It’s my sister actually,” admitted Regina, earning a sharp look from Emma. It seemed she was the key to getting the answers to what was going on.

 

Henry’s eyebrows shot up. “Okay. My family tree just got a little weirder.”

 

“Wait until you meet ___” Emma muttered a name under her breath but it was so strange that he couldn’t understand what she’d said. There was obviously more to this story than he knew so far, which wasn’t saying much since they wouldn’t tell him anything! He was twelve (nearly thirteen!) and they were treating him like he didn’t deserve to be involved.

 

It didn’t sit right with Henry. “If someone is after the baby then why are you leaving?”

 

“We’re going to go track her down and stop her,” said Emma. “Which is why we have to go. Like, now.”

 

“No, wait! That isn’t a good idea. You can’t go. If she’s after the baby this is where she’s gonna come and this is where you need to be. It doesn’t make sense to leave the thing you’re protecting. This kinda thing happens in stories all the time! Don’t fall for it. Let the bad guys make the bad decisions.”

 

Regina shook her head wryly and turned to the woman at her side. “He’s right, Emma. We shouldn’t leave.”

 

“But...” Emma sighed. “I just don’t see how this is ever going to end. Say if we do prevent her from getting the baby today. What's going to stop her trying again tomorrow? Or the next day. Or the one after that. Aren’t we always going to be looking over our shoulders waiting for her next move? We have to stop her power permanently and we sure as hell have to break the curse. Again.”

 

That seemed to send Regina into deep thought. “How did you break the curse originally?”

 

Emma shrugged. “True Love’s Kiss I guess?”

 

“Yes, but surely you have kissed Henry at least once in the past year. We have to figure out how to make it work again.”

 

Henry scrunched his face. “I don’t feel cursed. Is it worse than being grounded?”

 

“You’re about to find out,” warned Emma.

 

Regina shot her a judgemental look. “Don’t be so hard on him, Emma. He’s only being curious. He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

 

“Yeah,” echoed Henry, with a lift of his chin. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”

 

Emma glared at each of them in turn. “Seriously? You two are ganging up on me? Since when are you the fun Mom, Regina? And don’t think you’re not in trouble, kid. You only found out a few hours ago and already you’re playing us off against one another. That’s really crap!”

 

“Oh, I have lived for this day,” said Regina, smiling triumphantly (or was it smirking with glee?). “I’m going to enjoy this moment forever. Emma Swan doesn’t like it when her son and his other mother are in collusion against her. The irony is delicious.”

 

“I’ll give you something delicious,” Emma muttered darkly under her breath.

 

His mothers then started to bicker about which of them was in fact the ‘fun’ Mom and who was the ‘strict’ Mom. He didn’t remember half of the examples they brought up over the course of the argument but it was still funny. They kinda argued like… anyone else’s parents. He thought he might have been worried to see his parents fighting, but there wasn’t any real animosity behind it. It was more like they were paying each other out for amusement value. Something had changed between them.

 

It was really nice having two parents actually. Henry smiled to himself.

 

Emma was saying that she did  _not_  appreciate the irony of the situation. “... as if you did! You were always such a hardass, Madam Mayor. You never let him have any candy. I had to sneak Apollo bars into his lunchbox every day.”

 

Regina cocked an eyebrow. “You think I never figured out why my child suddenly turned into a little monster on a sugar high when he came home after he’d been with you? Of course I did. You never missed a trick when it came to undermining me at every available opportunity. You will be paying for his dental work in future by the way.”

 

They continued to argue. Henry tuned them out when he saw something strange appear in the background. As he stared harder, more of the fuzzy shape came into view.

 

“Uh, Moms, can you guys see that?” The pre-teen boy peered between the two of them at the overcast sky that was visible through the automatic glass doors. It looked like a brownish-grey flying thing coming towards the hospital but it seemed too large at that distance to be a bird.

 

What were those things? They looked like flying--

 

Henry’s eyes went wide with shock and he pointed behind them. “Mom! Mom, look out!”

 

A winged monkey was about to crash into the glass.

 

 

Regina and Emma turned around just in time to see one of Zelena’s flying monkeys crash through the glass doors. It approached too quickly for the sensor to activate the doors fully and the creature squalled at the impact as it smashed through the opening.

 

The monkey fell to the floor, then got up and shook its head with an indignant shriek. It caught sight of them and bared its teeth.

 

“Is this another boyfriend of yours, Emma?” Regina deadpanned. No situation was too serious for sass.

 

Henry’s mothers were standing in front of him now, shielding him bodily. He tried to get a better view around them. “It kinda looks like it's from the Wizard of Oz movie, except this one doesn’t look like a lame puppet. Mom, what is that thing?”

 

“It’s dangerous, Henry. Stay back,” ordered Emma.

 

“Remember what I told you about dire situations?” prompted Regina.

 

“Right,” Emma nodded. “Use magic.”

 

The Saviour stepped forward and held up her hands in front of her. They began to glow with white mist as she concentrated hard. The monkey snarled as it began to glow with the burning white power as well. Whatever magic she was doing appeared to be working. Emma always worked best when using her instincts.

 

The monkey fought back with a screech and rushed at her to attack. But she didn’t see it coming with her eyes closed tightly while she performed magic.

 

“Emma! No!” yelled Regina in a panic. She watched helplessly as Emma got tackled to the ground by the feral creature. The frenzy of razor-sharp teeth and claws threatened to slice Emma’s skin into shreds. With Henry to shield behind her she couldn’t do much except raise her hand into a claw which burst into orange flames.

 

Tossing the fireball at the creature would only incinerate Emma as well though. As many times as she’d pictured doing that to Miss Swan when they’d first met she couldn’t take the risk now. There had to be some other way to neutralise the beast. Some way that didn’t involve Henry’s mother’s death.

 

Regina shot any spell she could think of towards the creature but only succeeded in drawing its attention to herself and Henry. It was too agile when flying and most of the spells zinged harmlessly past its feathered form.

 

Finally one spell hit its intended target and the beast dropped to the ground instantly. What remained was no longer the body of a feathered monkey with wicked-sharp teeth and a huge wingspan. In its place a small fluffy toy monkey rolled on the linoleum.

 

Regina smiled in satisfaction and went over to collect her prize. It had a bell inside its tummy that jingled when she picked it up off the floor. She offered it to her son, forgetting that he was much too old for plush animals. “Here. For you.”

 

“Um, Regina?” said Henry. “You turned the monkey corpse into a stuffed toy. That’s kinda creepy...”

 

“Oh,” Regina faltered. “I suppose it is.”

 

“It’s  _awesome_! Can I have it?”

 

Emma rose to her feet, leaning her hand on her own knee to push herself upright. She rolled her eyes at their son’s enthusiasm for scoring the transfigured dead beast as a keepsake. He was such a twelve-year-old boy sometimes.

 

“Emma. Are you hurt?” Regina went straight to her, looking her over for injuries with a worried look on her face. She expected to see large gaping slashes and blood splatter but there was none. Emma appeared to be fine. It didn’t stop her from reaching out for her, pulling her denim collar from side to side to check that the pale skin of her neck was unmarred. One scratch of the creature’s claws could have severed her vital artery.

 

A vision came to mind. Regina saw herself kneeling on the floor, shaking Emma by the shoulders and screaming something at her.  _Why... why have you done this?!_  The imagined form of Emma was unconscious and her throat had been slashed. Regina thought she could hear the beat of her heart as it worked overtime, weakening in strength as the life-force drained out of her and she slipped away…

 

_No! Please no. Not again!_

 

The moment she felt a hand on her arm reality chased the intrusion away. It was Emma, rubbing her arm and peering at her.

 

“Are you ok?”

 

Regina whispered. “You could have been killed-”

 

“Hey, I’m fine.” Emma’s voice brought her back to reality. “But I think I need some more magic lessons.”

 

Regina smiled widely in relief. She couldn’t help but shake her head at Emma’s difficulty with applying the magic she’d learned so far. “Your ability still falls far short of your potential. What kind of Saviour are you anyway.”

 

Henry grinned. “If the Saviour saves all of the people in Storybrooke who do not save themselves, who saves the Saviour? … I think Regina does. I’m pretty sure she just saved your ass, Mom.”

 

“Language!” chastised Regina. “Emma!”

 

“Me?!” Emma cried indignantly. “He said it. Why am I getting in trouble? He should be the one in trouble. Although, considering he nearly got attacked by a mythical beast I guess we should let it slide.”

 

Of course it was Emma was responsible for their son’s potty mouth, Regina thought to herself. She was always the bad influence on him. Henry had grown up for ten years with someone 'evil', yet it was a grownup teenage delinquent who encouraged his bad behaviours.

 

“Hey Mom?”

 

It took Regina a second to realise that Henry meant  _her_ , not Emma, for the first time in over a year. Her heart jolted with the shock and the joy of hearing him call her that once again. Was it only yesterday that she thought she was going to lose him forever? That she’d never get another chance to be a permanent fixture in his life? That he would grow up without her, in New York or Boston or wherever Emma’s wanderlust took them?

 

“Is it ok if I call you Mom, Regina?” Henry pulled out a blue envelope from his jacket pocket and held it out. “It’s kinda stupid but I got you something… I guess now is as good a time as any.”

 

The idea of getting her a card was touching in itself but when Regina read the words inside her eyes filled with tears.

 

An instant later the curse was shattered for good.

 


	7. Part 7

Regina was surprised when her pre-teen son looked down at his feet and shyly handed over a blue envelope. Her surprise was not at the thoughtfulness of the gesture though, as a child he often made her drawings and cards. She kept them all but everything disappeared with the new curse. She opened the envelope and slid the card out with a slight tremor in her hands.

The card had a powder-blue cartoon elephant on the front with the words 'Congratulations on your baby boy!' written in sparkly letters.

"Yeah, that's the closest card I could find," said Henry sheepishly.

Even though her son didn't remember her, he managed to give her a new keepsake to make up for everything she'd lost and more. When she'd brought Henry back from Boston Angels, nobody in Storybrooke noticed the small addition to the population. Not one person noticed that yet Regina's life had been turned upside down by a tiny little baby in a cap and onesie. Eventually the haze of the curse took care of everything and then, according to the citizens of Storybrooke, the Mayor had always had a child. For as long as they could remember.

Her desire to adopt had been granted blessedly fast. Too fast perhaps, because she hadn't been truly ready for it. It seemed one moment she had nothing but an empty void to ruminate over and the next moment she was a working single mother, tired from too many sleepless nights to count and barely able to concentrate on anything other than childrearing.

She'd had no friends or family to commemorate with, of course, and so there had been no baby shower, no naming ceremony or welcome party. In fact, the baby card in her hands given to her by her own son was actually the first time anyone had congratulated her on becoming a mother.  _Congratulations on your baby boy_ … Regina had waited over a decade for there to be someone else who was happy that she adopted a little angel.

Her son was glad that she adopted him.

Regina smiled tearily. "It's perfect. Thankyou, dar- Henry."

Emma was smiling her head off, obviously proud as punch of her son. She bumped her shoulder into his and teased him. "Hey, aren't you a charmer! I know where you get that from."

Regina arched an eyebrow at her. "Certainly not from you, dear."

"Whatever. I'll take that as permission to try harder to charm you then."

Henry interrupted their flirting to gesture at the card in Regina's hands as a prompt. "Did you open it?"

Regina opened the card. She would have recognised the handwriting anywhere, after years of checking her son's homework and school assignments. But it was the words that struck her. Wherever her heart physically was right now, it must have been glowing with pure love.

> **Dear Mom,**
> 
> **I'm glad we came back and found you. You said you loved me very much and I can tell you still do. I wish I could remember you. I bet you were a really great Mom.**
> 
> **Love Henry**

Regina's eyes filled.  _I wasn't always... but I'm trying my best._

It was far too painful now. She couldn't help but reach out to gather her son in her arms. This time there would be no cordial handshake. This time Henry hugged her back.

Embracing her son after so long was surreal. A single year without him and without the hope of ever seeing him again had felt like eons. Finally holding him again made her feel as though she had found a reason to keep persevering. This was her heart's happiness right here. She hadn't realised how much love she could have for someone before holding her infant son for the first time. After twelve years she still felt the same way.

Sometimes it seemed like only yesterday that he came into her life cooing and crying. In a way, he would always be her baby boy.

Henry's card said he wished he could remember her. His missing memories were not all rosy though. In them there were times when they'd had a yelling match or when they'd spent time apart because nobody was certain as to whether the former Evil Queen was a threat.

He was a smart boy. He would know that his memories had good stuff and bad stuff as everyone's did. Yet he wished to know the truth no matter what it was.

"I love you, Henry," Regina whispered, finally able to tell him. The words couldn't express the depth of her feelings though, when her every waking moment she thought of him.

Regina drew back only far enough to place a kiss on his forehead. Without knowing what she was really doing, her power flared and overwhelmed her with its intensity.

The second her lips met his skin a pulse of light flashed between them. From where they stood the light split into colours and radiated outwards until it passed through every person in Storybrooke.

Emma gaped. "What was that!? Regina, how did you-"

Henry's eyes widened and unfocused as though he were deep in thought. After barely a second he blinked.

"Mom," he cried, looking at her with full recognition. "I remember! I love you too."

"You did it," said Emma, staring at Regina in shock. "That was True Love's kiss. You broke the curse."

Regina's initial instinct was disbelief, even though her memories of the missing year were now restored. "I don't understand. It was supposed to be you. You're the Savior."

"I guess there's a new hero in Storybrooke. This time it's you."

Henry grabbed her hand. "Mom, guess what!..."

For the boy it felt like a year since he had seen his mother and he had so much to tell her. He started chattering to her about anything and everything, things he had seen and done while living in New York, how he was doing in school and the friends he had made.

Even if she'd wanted to, Regina didn't have the heart to stop him. He remembered every moment of their history together and though they had been through some tough stuff, his first instinct was to run to her. Not away.

Henry looked back and forth between his mothers with a sly eye. "So… what was going on here just now? You guys looked pretty close. You're not fighting. Something is weird between you two."

"Emma is still being her usual irritating self," Regina deflected the confusing topic. "Now, Henry, it looks to me like you've been gone more than a year. You're growing up so fast. Look how tall you've become-"

"Mom."

"- and your voice is starting to roughen. It must be puberty-"

"Mom!" he complained, with an appeal to Emma. "Make her stop?"

Emma snorted. "Geez Regina. Whatever you do, don't mention the P word. You're embarrassing the kid."

"Oh, I didn't realise- "

Whatever apologies Regina was about to make they were cut off by the sound of screaming from nearby.

* * *

The hospital foyer became a frenzy of action. Security mobilised to direct the flow of people as they ran to the exits, away from the direction of the screaming. Flying monkeys were visible through the windows wreaking havoc outside. Obviously the creature they just defeated had not been the only one on the way.

Emma reached for Henry, sandwiching him between herself and Regina. She hoped that whatever magical power she possessed would be enough to protect them both.

"She's here," said Regina, scanning the whole area for any sign of her sister. The sorceress gestured to the fluffy toy monkey. "That was one of her minions."

"Zelena?" said Emma.

"I didn't know you had a sister, Mom," said Henry. "Why does she have flying monkeys? They look like the ones from the Oz chapters in my book."

"She's the Wicked Witch of the West."

"Really? Awesome!"

Emma sighed. "Kid, it's not awesome. She's trying to kill us."

"Oh, right. Why does she want Mary Margaret's baby?"

"She wants my life," said Regina in a droll tone. "My sister is jealous of me and apparently she wants to be an only child again. I imagine she's trying to make some sort of spell to erase my existence."

"She's not gonna succeed," said Emma firmly. "There's no way I'm going to let that happen, now that I've finally got you where I want you."

Regina looked at her pointedly. "And where is that exactly?"

"Er, y'know - you're good these days. You and I are- We have Henry- we're...whatever! I put a lot of work into your redemption and I'm not gonna see it all get undone."

"Yes, dear. God forbid that  _your_  efforts should be wasted."

"That's not the only reason! You have to exist. I like having you around. "

Regina admitted, "I suppose I've become attached to you too. You're like a tick. Under the skin and hard to get rid of."

"Gee thanks. Love you too," Emma said sarcastically, before realising exactly what words came out of her mouth.

_Oh shit,_  Emma berated herself internally.  _I did not mean to say that! Not yet at least and not in such a flippant way. Oh god it's true, I do love her. But it's way too soon for freaking her out and ruining things with random declarations..._

A minute later she was still cursing her own inability to keep her mouth shut, fearing that she'd said way too much. But when she saw the expression on the other woman's face her anxiety faded. She could never regret causing her to look at her like that.

Regina was staring at her like she'd invented the sun. Maybe all of the stars too.

"Hm-hm," a new voice was cleared nearby, belonging to a man. He was dressed in Limmerick green outdoorwear and carried a lethal-looking modern crossbow that was complete with laser sight and armed ready to fire.

"Milady?"

The two women snapped out of their staring contest. Robin Hood was waiting a few steps away, apparently having tried to get their attention for a minute or two. How much had he heard of their conversation? Emma wondered if Regina's "boyfriend" had heard her accidental confession just now. He could hardly have missed the obvious, the two of them looking at each other like lovers. Could she have ruined Regina's chance with this guy? It was a tough call as to whether she felt guilt or jealousy at the idea.

Emma saw Regina tuck a lock of hair behind her ear before greeting him. Her smile wasn't quite convincing and the tinge in her cheeks spoke volumes. "Robin."

"It's not safe for you here," said the infamous thief who supposedly robbed from the rich (like Regina in her youth) and gave to the poor (like Emma growing up). "Zelena overpowered my men and I at the Western entrance. She's headed to the Maternity floor right now."

"That witch can't get in there," said Regina. "I put up a protection spell that's impervious to blood magic. Let's hope it's enough to protect the Charmings."

"Then who is going to protect you? Zelena has defeated you before."

"I have to make sure she doesn't get to the baby."

Robin smiled. "Of course. You always did have the mothering instinct."

Their conversation was so stilted that it was awkward for Emma to observe. Henry kept quiet, but she wasn't certain how long she could let this go on. She barely knew Robin and it was not without jealousy that she realised that obviously Regina knew him a lot better than as an acquaintance.  _I thought they hadn't known each other long in Storybrooke though? How far has their relationship progressed,_ Emma wondered.  _Not that I have the right to ask her._

When Robin mentioned the curse breaking and the missing year, it seemed like something had happened between the couple. But what? A romance or something? Hopefully  _not_  a romance. Whatever it was, Regina looked like she didn't know what to make of him now, perhaps in her missing memories she hadn't fallen for him.

_That's just wishful thinking_! Emma chastised herself.  _You don't want there to have been anything between Regina and Robin in Fairytale Land because you want the chance to have her for yourself._   _You can't wish the competition away and nor should you._

_I know. I just want her to be happy. Even if it's with him and it breaks my heart?_

_Her heart!_

"Hey, it was you who lost Regina's heart wasn't it," Emma interrupted. It was clear to everyone who she was talking to.

"Pardon?" said Robin.

"What'd you do? Bury it under a few leaves and then give it up to Zelena the second she came for it?"

"It wasn't like that," Regina put in.

Emma kept her eyes locked on the other thief. "To answer your question about who's going to protect Regina, I am. I'm the Saviour and I'll be damned if her heart gets broken again. By anyone."

Robin glanced at one woman then the other. "Am I missing something here?"

"Nope." Emma lifted her chin. "I think what I said was pretty clear."

Henry piped up and offered his hand to shake. "Hi! I'm Henry. These are my Moms. Don't worry, they only pretend they don't like each other. They're actually really close."

"Robin of Locksley," he introduced himself, probably grateful for the interruption. "At your service. I've heard a lot about you, young man."

"We don't have time for this," Emma cut in impatiently. "Zelena. The baby is nearly here-"

_"_ _IT'S A BOY!"_

Leroy and Archie came running amidst the crowd in the corridor towards the group who whirled around at the announcement. Mary Margaret's labour must finally be over and the newest Charming had entered the world at last. Snow White and her Prince had now completed their family with a son.

"I knew it," Regina said under her breath. Her words were sarcastic despite a small lift of the corners of her mouth.

"Awesome," said Henry. "I can't wait to meet my uncle and see my grandparents again."

"What about us?" said Leroy in his gruff voice. "The flying monkeys are attacking!"

Archie reached for Emma and pointed behind them. "That's not all. It's Zelena. She got through the Merry Men and Belle and the others. Go to your brother."

Emma sent Regina a questioning look and received a nod of affirmation. "Let's go. The rest of you guys get to safety."

Regina pushed Henry towards Archie. "Go with Dr Hopper. Hide in a closet, hide anywhere. You don't want to see this. It won't be pretty."

"But Mom-"

"No buts," said Emma and Regina in perfect unison.

Henry was pulled away by his friend and former psychologist, Archie. He didn't protest but he looked back at his parents the whole way until they disappeared from sight.

The two of them raced for the stairs.

* * *

Henry swung his hands in his jacket pocket as they hurried down the hospital corridor. "I missed you, Archie. Well, not really. I didn't remember then but now I do."

"I've missed you too, Henry," said Archie. "So has Pongo." The psychologist smiled in return at his former patient. He stopped at the door of an empty office that was far away from the action at the hospital. The room was empty so Archie gestured for his young friend to follow him inside. He shut the door behind them with a sigh of relief.

"I wish I could've stayed to help my Moms," said Henry with a sigh, throwing his newly lanky form into a chair.

Archie had gotten to know Henry very well over the years, and as a veteran of therapy, the young boy easily slipped back into talk mode. He took a seat next to his former patient and tried not to be too obvious about assessing his current wellbeing.

"I'm sure your mothers will do everything they can to protect the town. They will be better able to concentrate if they know that you're out of harm's way."

"Yeah, I know."

"You seem happier this year," Archie observed. A physical growth spurt wasn't the only change in the young boy over the time he'd been living in New York.

"Yeah," Henry nodded with a grin. "I think things are going to be great from now on. I can't wait til Emma and I move home to Storybrooke."

"Is that what your mother is planning to do after she defeats Zelena?"

"Why wouldn't she? We can't stay in New York knowing that our family is here. Last year we didn't know what we were missing. It was just the two of us and things were okay. But now we both remember. So we have to come back, for Mary Margaret and David and the new baby."

"I'm sure Emma will do what she thinks is best."

"That sounds like you think she wants to leave. You don't think she'd really want to go back to New York do you?"

"I don't know-"

"She can't! We belong here. I don't want to leave." Henry's face fell as he realised something. "It's going to be the same all over again isn't it."

"What do you mean?"

"My Moms. Regina isn't going to let Emma take me away. Emma won't let her near me if she thinks I'm in danger. I don't want them to fight anymore, Archie!"

"They've both been through a lot in the past two years. I hear they even worked together in Neverland to save you. I'm sure they understand each other better these days. You are the one who brought them together. Sometimes parents fight but it's important for you to know that it's not your fault."

"It is though." Henry contradicted. "They fight over me. That's all they ever fight about."

Archie had heard similar plaintives from other children that he'd worked with over the years. Particularly, children of divorced or separated parents. He knew how hard it was for a child to witness the breaking down of a relationship involving the people they loved and depended on for care. It could be a very stressful time for a child, and in this case Henry had an unusual family situation to cope with. It was common for children to apply guilt to themselves.

Ever since Emma Swan arrived in Storybrooke the kind psychologist had hoped that she and Henry's mother, the Mayor, could work things out for Henry's sake. Henry had always been a special boy with a heart of gold, though lonely and often mischievous.

"Perhaps they both think they're the only one who knows what's best for you," Archie suggested.

"They don't!" said Henry. "I'm twelve, nearly thirteen. I'm old enough to know where I want to live. I want to spend time with both of them."

"I know how important family is to you, Henry. You may not realise it, but it's also what drives both of your mothers. It doesn't matter how you all came to be connected, love is what will keep you together in future."

"I don't think it's always enough," said Henry sadly. "My Dad died. I didn't get much of a chance to be with him."

"I'm very sorry you had to lose him so soon after meeting him."

"He died a hero. I always believed it but I didn't get to tell him."

"How are you coping now that the curse is broken? It's a lot to take in all at once."

Henry shrugged and sank further into his chair. He eyed a medical demonstration model of the human heart that was sitting on the office desk. It looked nothing like a heart that had been magically removed. Last year it might have scared him, being reminded of his mother as the Evil Queen. She wasn't like that anymore. He'd only been ten and that had been hard to deal with. When he'd read the book and realised who she was it had felt like losing his mother completely... The memories of her felt like lies. But they had been the real truth all along.

The curse only just broke and his memories were back and he was glad about it. He never wanted to lose the memories of his Mom or Emma ever again. But the return of his memories also meant that he now knew what had happened to Neal.

"I went to the funeral but I didn't know who he was then," said Henry. "I just wish I'd gotten to see him in Storybrooke one last time. But I guess I'm lucky that I got to meet him at all last year. He helped us get home. I'm worried about Emma now."

"Why?"

"She loved my Dad a lot back then. She was dating a guy in New York but not anymore… I want her to be happy like that again. This morning we were at Mom's house, Mifflin Street I mean, for breakfast. I walked in on them and my Moms were really close. They were talking on the lounge. Kinda like, I dunno, I haven't seen them do that before. I don't know what to think."

If Archie had less composure his eyebrows would have shot up to his receding hairline. It sounded like Henry meant 'close' as in romantically. Could that really be Emma and Regina? Or was it just a child's wishful thinking and exaggerating a situation out of context?

"But if Emma likes Mom..." continued Henry. "Does Mom like her too? I think she is going out with Robin though, which is weird because isn't he supposed to love Maid Marian? What if Mom gets hurt? She might go evil again. I can't let that happen. She just needs to know she can find happiness again… and she could do that with Emma right? Then we could all have a happy ending."

"Well-"

"Archie!" Henry bolted upright with wide eyes. "That's a great idea! It could fix everything. Operation Cobra is back on. Here's what we're going to do..."


	8. Part 8

A tornado of royal purple smoke swirled in the corridor outside Mary Margaret's room in the Maternity Ward. When the particles cleared Emma and Regina stood there, having teleported there in an instant using magic. The former Evil Queen was well-used to travelling in such a manner and hardly realised that it must have been strange for Emma to do so for the first time.

The corridor was empty. No sign of Zelena. Had they beaten her there? Or missed her entirely?

"Where?" Emma said, beside her. "I don't see her. Regina?"

"No," murmured Regina. She examined the surroundings, trying to detect not only a physical trace of her sister but a magical one as well. There was only the white glow of the protection spell that they had constructed earlier.

Regina reached for Emma's sleeve to get her attention and turned to face her. "Are you sure you're ready? You have to be ready."

"Uh-"

"Don't forget to rely on your instinct. It's when you're most powerful. Focus. Use your emotions, but don't let them overwhelm you. Keep in control-"

"Ok," Emma nodded, cutting off the last minute cram session. "I'm going to need your help though."

"Now I feel completely reassured." Regina's worry manifested as sarcasm. "I should've given you a better grounding in the basics. I should never have let you advance without the necessary reading first. You have a worse attention span than our son by the way, even though he has that video game obsession. And another thing-"

"Regina."

"You're responsible for all of his bad habits. Including that unfortunate liking for cinnamon and not to mention his propensity for-"

"Regina!" Emma tried again.

"What?"

"Look."

Emma raised their hands which had found each other without their noticing. Their fingers were laced together, a tight fit that felt as natural as breathing. They hadn't touched often. Regina had always made sure of that since the moment they'd met. Every time Emma touched her it had a strong effect on her. She had memories of wrenching her arm away in anger at being manhandled and another memory, much clearer, involving a hat and a portal and a sudden loss thereafter.

She'd felt Emma's magic activate hers before and now it was happening again. She could feel it, despite the gradual dulling of her emotions the longer her heart remained outside her body.

Their hands were pulsing with magic flowing between them. A soft white light emanated from the join, which seemed to be getting stronger the longer it held.

"Can you feel that," said Emma warily. "What's happening?"

"I don't know. What are you doing to me?"

"It's not me, I think it's us. This is how we're going to beat her. Our magic."

"I can't." Regina looked down, unaware that she'd moved closer to Emma even though a denim jacket was the forefront of her gaze. "Zelena has the same kind of magic as I do and she's overpowered me before. It took me years to master my ability. You on the other hand… you're growing in power every day. I saw what you did at the chasm with the bridge. You don't need my help."

"I can't do it without you. You were right in Neverland, we can use our combined strength."

"But all I have is Dark magic. Yours is-"

"No," Emma insisted. "You broke the new curse just now. That was True Love, so you must have that magic inside you too."

"I don't even have my heart right now, how can I?" Regina shook her head at the ground. "I'm not sure I know how to love properly when I have it, let alone without it."

"It'll come back to you."

Regina's eyes snapped up when Emma's hands settled on either side of her chin, cradling gently. Her own hands settled on Emma's hips as if it were their usual resting place. Suddenly it felt as though they were back at her Mifflin Street home, with Emma comforting her in Henry's empty bedroom. Emma stared deep into her eyes with unwavering confidence. Why did it feel as though nothing were impossible when she looked at her in that way? Strong, beautiful Emma, who never said that which she did not mean.

Regina wanted to trust her so badly. Part of her was panicked at the thought of allowing herself to hope and the other was dying to give in to it. To finally hold on to what she'd sought for so long.

"You will get your heart back," Emma whispered. "I promise."

An unkind laugh broke through. Zelena laughed again, making her derision completely clear at having observed their sentimental moment. She stepped through the white mist of the protection spell as if it were no more magical than water vapour in the air. Her smile mocked them without mercy.

Emma dropped her hands and moved only a nominal distance away.

"My my, isn't this interesting," said Zelena. "I'm only disappointed that Mother didn't live long enough to know the truth about you, Regina. How scandalous! Embracing a woman... not to mention the Saviour."

Regina fixed a look on her sister to reply. "I've long since stopped caring about what Mother would think. Her choice of suitor for me left much to be desired."

"She made you a  _queen_!"

"And she left  _you_  as a pauper in rags. Not exactly Mother of the Year material."

The witch made a noise of disgust. "You're weak. It's worse than I thought. I guess I'll just have to put you out of your misery."

"Then what are you waiting for?" said Regina, raising her hands for a spell. "Enough of thi-"

Zelena's smile dropped. The witch was too quick, a blast of energy released from her pale hand. But it wasn't directed at her little sister.

Regina felt the the impact beside her as Emma got tossed against the wall like a ragdoll and then fell to the ground. The injured woman lay still for a few seconds before groaning in pain, seemingly trying to stay conscious. Her face was obscured by her long blonde hair. Her shoulders shifted for a second and then she stopped moving.

_Emma!_ Regina barely restrained herself from crying it out aloud. But she refused to give Zelena the satisfaction.

Wherever her heart was it must've been beating itself into a frenzy. She stayed rooted to the spot, running towards her would only confirm Zelena's suspicion about how much she cared about Emma. Hopefully, Emma's being supposedly out of the way would draw her enemy's focus onto herself now.

Regina glared, fighting the itch to retaliate with her weaker magic. "Leave her out of this. It's nothing to do with her. Just kill me already and get it over with. You're stalling, greenie."

"You really are pathetic," Zelena spat. "Are you that desperate for love? Emma Swan? It's all over town how much you two hate each other. I wonder how you can stand it. Isn't she the one who stole her brat back from you? Yes yes, I've heard the whole sordid tale. Just babysitting for her were you, sis?"

"His name is Henry and he is my son."

"Hm. Is he around? No? That's a pity, he won't get to say one last goodbye to his Mommy."

Regina smiled nonchalantly. "You won't kill her."

"Oh really? Why not."

"Because even if you get through me, you'll never defeat her. You have no idea how much power she has inside her. She broke Rumplestiltzskin's curse."

Even if Zelena was surprised to hear that she didn't show it. "Only because his C student was the one who cast it. I watched some of your lessons, Regina. You were hopeless! I'm amazed you managed to cast the curse at all. I would've done a better job of course and made sure it was unbreakable."

"And yet Gold still chose me over you. He  _wanted_  the curse to be broken."

"It doesn't matter. I'm here to correct your failures now. Starting with killing the Charmings' daughter. I've heard all about what she's done to you and I won't stand for it. As your big sister it's my duty to you. The only one who bullies my little sis… is me."

With a snap of the witch's fingers Emma's body disappeared.

* * *

When Emma came to consciousness she was lying on her side, half on the ground and half in someone's arms. Someone who was soft and warm and wearing red fabric. The former bailbondsperson felt bruised everywhere and couldn't figure out why. Her vision was blurry and she blinked several times to clear it. The glare of fluorescent lights overhead flooded in, exacerbating her confusion. Everything was bright white which confirmed that she was still in the hospital.

Her rescuer's face above began to come into focus. It was Regina. She looked stressed. What had happened?

Emma tried to speak. Her mouth opened but no sound came out. She tried to breathe but her lungs wouldn't inflate. That's when she realised something was wrong. Her solar plexus was seized. There was no air moving in or out of her. She tried to gasp.

"Emma!" Regina was calling her name repeatedly. "Emma. Breathe!"

_Can't._

The seconds ticked over.

_I can't breathe!_

Each second felt like an eternity. Maybe she would die. What a stupid way for a Saviour to be defeated. Had Zelena even attacked her? Probably. It felt like she was underwater, kicking hard for the surface which she knew was too far away. She'd run out of oxygen before she made it.

_Gonna suffocate. Oh god. Need air._

Regina was ordering her to calm down so that it would be easier for her lungs to expand. She was trying to pull Emma's arms over her head to stretch out her torso but in her panic Emma struggled against it.

"Dammit, Emma, stop fighting me! You will take a breath right now or so help me I will send that heap of junk you call a car off to the scrap yard. Do as I tell you for once in your life.  _BREATHE_!"

Suddenly the air rushed into her lungs. The instant relief quelled Emma's panic and she inhaled with a deep gasp. It took a few tries to bring her breathing back to a relatively normal rhythm.

"Wha- happened?" Emma wheezed.

"You were only winded," Regina said in that way she had of making Emma feel like an idiot. "You'll live. I wasn't worried. It's not that big of a deal."

"Zelena?"

"Gone."

Emma frowned. There was something suspicious in the way Regina answered. Her voice was strained and although she wasn't lying, she wasn't telling the whole truth either. What on earth had happened while she had been unconscious? The last thing she remembered was getting tossed around.

"Did you beat her? How did she get away?"

"I let her go."

"What?!" cried Emma. She sat up and stared at Regina in shock, unable to believe what she was hearing. She staggered upright and managed to find her feet. Regina rose too, watching her carefully as if to detect a sign of whether she would fall right back down.

Emma ran to Mary Margaret's room and pushed the door open slowly. She stuck her head through the gap and saw her mother sobbing in David's arms while the nurse and doctor nearby were trying to console her.

There was no sign of the baby.

This should have been one of the happiest moments of the former Snow White's tumultuous life. She ought to be mesmerised by the presence of a new little person in her arms. Instead, her newborn child had been ripped from her arms for the second time. The first time being shortly after Emma's own birth.

The last time she'd seen Mary Margaret so distressed it was when she'd been facing trial for murder. Emma had promised her that it she could prevent that from happening but she'd failed. Now she wasn't sure which hurt more, failing to help her friend or finding out later that she'd let down her mother. Mary Margaret was both the first person who had trusted her and the first person she'd learned to trust in return.

The Sheriff was about to back out of the room when her father caught her eye. David whispered something to his wife and then gently laid her head down on the pillow. He rose from the bed and they both stepped outside the room into the corridor.

"What the hell happened?" whispered Emma.

David had tears in his eyes as he shook his head. The new father was clearly in shock. "Zelena took your brother."

"How?"

"I don't know - I don't know what to do- I have to go after her but-"

Emma locked eyes with him and said, softly but firmly. "No, stay here. Mom needs you. I promise that I will find Zelena and get him back. Regina and I are his best chance. Trust me."

"How did this happen? How did she defeat the two of you?"

Emma frowned as she realised something didn't add up here. She had no memory of what had happened but apparently she'd been unconscious for at least some of it. It didn't explain why Zelena hadn't simply killed them all or why she'd been able to overpower not only her but Regina as well.

"Regina, did she hurt you again?" asked Emma, turning to look her over for signs of injury. "Why didn't you fight Zelena?"

Regina blinked and looked away. "She's too powerful."

"That's never stopped you before."

"I couldn't."

"But she took  _the baby_!" Emma raised her voice to relay her incredulity. "Mary Margaret's baby. The one we've been trying to protect this whole time. How could you just do nothing?"

"She said she was going to kill you," Regina repeated.

"So?! Isn't that what she's been saying every single day since I got here?"

"This was different. She had you. I couldn't do anything. You were barely conscious. She said that she would kill you if I tried to stop her."

"Then you should have let her!" Emma raised her voice to a yell. "My brother is just a defenseless little baby. I can handle anything, he can't. He needs his mother. You should have have protected him instead of me."

David stepped in to defuse her anger, inadvertently defending Regina's actions (or lack of them). "Emma, we wouldn't have wanted that. Your mother and I would never trade one of you for the other. We don't want to lose either of you."

It was enough to mollify Emma from grilling Regina about it right now, but in her opinion this conversation was far from over.

Emma narrowed her eyes and took in the regal woman's stiff bearing and the fact that she was also wringing her hands together in front of her. Perhaps she wasn't lying (they both knew Emma would be able to tell immediately if she was) but she was definitely holding something back. Emma realised that taking out her anger would not change anything though.

"Did Zelena say what she was going to do with the baby?" asked Emma, reigning in the volume of her voice.

"Yes." Regina nodded. "She boasted about using the purest newborn for the spell she's planning. The baby is safe until she actually manages to cast it. My sister intends to change the past so that my mother never abandoned her. Cora will marry the King instead of my father so that I will never be born and that means-"

"Mary Margaret will never be born if the King doesn't marry Ava," David pointed out.

"Which means Emma and Henry won't exist either," said Regina.

"Alright, I've had enough," Emma said in a grim voice. "David, stay here with Mary Margaret. Tell her I won't let her down again. This ends today."

* * *

_Zelena's farm_

In the paddock, a pair of women appeared amidst a swirl of purple smoke. A farmhouse with a weathervane could be seen in the background but they were nearer to the barn. Regina recognised the traces of her sister's particular brand of wickedness. Without a word she indicated that they should head towards the barn using caution. As they drew nearer the scent of magic being prepared became stronger.

"This isn't over by the way," Emma said in a low voice.

Regina keep her eyes on the open barn door ahead. "Yes, dear. That's why we're here. To stop Zelena once and for all."

"No, I meant about before. I know when you're lying remember? Why did you save me? Why won't you tell me what really happened back at the hospital?"

"Why are you so cavalier with your life? Your parents would never forgive me if I sacrificed you, no matter what the reason. Imagine what losing you would do to Henry, did you consider that?"

"He's still got you."

"He wants  _you_ ," countered Regina, finishing the rest in her mind.  _I want you too._

"It's my decision. Promise me that if it comes down to a choice between me and the baby, you'll choose him."

"No. I will make no such promise."

Emma glared. "It's  _my_  life."

"It's mine too! I will not let you die. I can't lose you-" Regina blurted it out with gritted teeth. "I'm in love with you, you idiot. Who knows why because I don't!"

A bashful smile stretched across Emma's face and all trace of irritation disappeared in an instant. "Oh."

They must have been closing in on Zelena, Regina realised. She could feel that her heart wasn't too far away judging by the way her emotions were becoming more intense. Or perhaps that was because she had just confessed her feelings to the woman she'd loved in secret for so long. Even though Emma had already made her attraction known, she couldn't help but feel anxious about what this would now mean for their lives. Somewhere nearby her heart was beating fast.

Regina looked away into the paddock, ostensibly scanning for danger. "I tell you my deepest secret and all you can say is 'Oh'?"

"I'll make you say 'Ohhh' later," Emma said with a lascivious smirk. "Multiple times."

"I knew there was a reason to let you live."

"Thanks for telling me and it's very mutual. After this is over we should talk… and have sex. But mostly talk! Because I really want this to work. I want us."

"I do too." Regina indulged herself in a smile as well.

It ought to have been too early to hope. It was difficult to ignore the subconscious warnings that reminded her of the pain and grief that were irrevocably associated with love for her. But none of that could prevent the tiny shoots of happiness that had taken root. She was already too far gone in falling for Emma Swan.

Zelena's voice called from the barn. "Oh, you two are so adorable! It makes me want to throw up."

The two women ran inside and saw coloured plumes of smokey magic twirling from the ground. There was some sort of circular symbol with four points of symmetry carved into the dirt. At the points the spell ingredients rested in dishes: the brain, the sword, the heart, and the baby boy. The spell under construction was leaching power from each of the objects. The witch's spell had already begun.

Mr Gold was standing nearby, leaning on the handle of the hoe he had obviously used to dig the dirt symbol.

The baby began to whimper.

"Zelena, stop the spell now," ordered Regina. "We're not going to let you succeed."

Instead of her usual fireball, Regina shot a blast of water out of her hand. It headed straight at Zelena who blocked it easily with lazy gesture.

"Water?" said Zelena, unimpressed by the attack. "Did you really think that would work again? I don't melt for just anyone. Unlike you apparently. I've been watching your heart beat itself to death over Emma Swan for days. It's pathetic. Are you ready for another kind of beating, sis?"

"I'm ready to see you get yours."

Zelena raised her hand as though she were choking an imaginary neck. But the effect was certainly not imaginary. Regina gasped as her airway tightened. She tried to summon her own magic to defend the attack but it failed to respond. Panic rose at the lack of oxygen in her lungs.

Emma watched the woman she loved being choked to death right in front of her eyes. Her hands clenched into fists, which began to glow with white magic without her noticing. "Stop it!"

"Rumple, a little help if you would?" Zelena tipped her head towards Emma.

Mr Gold advanced upon her, completely under the power of the witch.

The former Sheriff readied her stance and raised her gun from its holster on her hip. This was point-blank range and she did not want to have to shoot Gold. Being armed with a mortal weapon did not fill her with confidence after the feats of magic she'd witnessed Gold perform in the past.

"Don't do this, Gold," she warned.

He raised his hand, ready to strike, and said to her with his usual snarl. "Get the dagger. You can never win while she controls the Dark One. Do as I say. Or I will have no choice but to destroy you."

"Em-" Regina wheezed nearby, unable to get the words out. "-sn -ake-"

_Snake? What on earth does that mean?_  Was Regina referring to her Agrabahan viper? It was more appropriate for a stealth assassination than a weapon that would be useful in a showdown fight. Was she supposed to conjure the snake and sic it on Zelena? Regina knew Emma was rubbish at conjuring so why was she reminding her-

_To use magic!_

Emma squeezed her eyes shut and imagined the object in her hand. It was dire that she obtain this magical artefact. The one that she already held in her hand right now. She imagined being able to feel the hard coolness of the steel blade against the skin of her palm.  _I need to conjure the dagger. Otherwise Regina will die. All of us will._

When Emma opened her eyes, Rumpelstiltzskin's curved dagger disappeared from Zelena's hand and reappeared in her own.


	9. Part 9

“I’ve got it!” cried Emma, holding the curvy dagger in the air in victory. Performing magic was still new to her and she was kinda impressed that she had managed to conjure anything while under so much pressure. Now that she had Rumpelstiltskin’s dagger, Zelena could not force him to attack them or do anything at all.

 

As soon as Gold was freed from his slavery, flying monkeys swooped down from the rafters to attack him. His powers were back under his own control now and he was able to dispatch each one in turn effortlessly.

 

With the threat of the Dark One out of the way, Emma’s attention returned to Regina who was still being throttled at the formerly green hands of her sister. She called out to her. “Regina! Remember what you told me at the chasm? About using my instincts? You have good magic too. It’s inside you. Use it.”

 

Emma was determined to help Regina prove to herself to her sister, and to everyone else, that she really had changed. She believed it so hard. Henry believed in her too. Surely Regina must know that by now? Apparently her blazing self-confidence in all other areas didn’t transfer to a belief in her own capacity for goodness.

 

Zelena smirked as she tightened her invisible grip around her sister’s throat. “There’s no good in you, Regina, and you know it. There never was and there never will be. It's your destiny."

 

“She’s wrong!” Emma continued in a louder voice. “I know you’ve watched the Wizard of Oz a hundred times with Henry because I have too -- in the memories you gave me. ‘A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.’ Think of me and Henry and how much we love you. That’s our magic. You got this.”

 

Emma suspected that if Regina had been able to speak she would have cursed her out, not only for the sugary pep talk but also for leaving her to her own devices. The Mayor never did like the taste of her own medicine, apparently she didn’t like being dangled over certain death either. She was facing her own sort of chasm right now, but hers took the form of past regrets and darkness.

 

“This is your lesson, Regina! Save yourself. You can either use light magic... or die.”

 

Regina shut her eyes tightly.

 

There was a split second of terror when Emma thought that Regina was passing out. She had been deprived of air for how long now? It felt like an eternity when someone was choking. Watching helplessly, Emma willed her to fight for her right to breathe with every fibre of her being.

 

Then Regina gasped with a smile. Something shifted in her and it no longer looked like she was in peril. The invisible hand stopped choking her.

 

“No!” Zelena was horrified. “How are you doing that?”

 

“Doing what?” said Regina in her best troll voice. “This?”

 

A blast of pure energy burst out of Regina’s palms but it was not coloured purple like when she’d used magic to alter Pan’s curse at the town line. Instead it was brilliant white light with spectral rainbows resulting from water droplets that remained in the air from her previous water spell.

 

The light magic hit Zelena with enough force to knock her off her feet, causing her to land hard on her back on the barn’s dirt floor. Plumes of green smoke rose in the air as her magic left her body. She was powerless now, defeated by a stronger magic.

 

“No! No!” cried the witch. “What have you done? You’ve destroyed my beautiful wickedness!”

 

Regina stepped forward so that she was standing over Zelena. "There's something you should know about little sisters. We always get our own way."

 

“You had everything!” Zelena shouted with angry tears forming in her eyes. “When we were children you had it all and I had nothing! Now you’ve taken this from me too.”

 

“I wish we hadn’t been strangers to one another, Zelena. You may not accept it but all of this is Mother’s fault. She gave you away before I was even born.”

 

“She would have come back for me if not for you. I know she would.”

 

“No. Not Cora. You never knew her like I did. Her ambitions for power were everything to her. She didn’t pay much attention to me except when I was in need of discipline. I was very lonely as a child and often wished to have a companion, a sibling or friend. Perhaps as little girls we might’ve protected each other against Mother and giggled about her behind her back? I don’t know. But I had no idea that I had a sister living in another world who would grow up to hate my very existence.”

 

Regina shook her head. “I will not kill you, Zelena. I hope you can find a way to get past your jealousy. It might be nice to have family in town.”

 

Zelena scoffed. “Are all little sisters as annoying as you are?”

 

Her words were sarcastic but Emma thought she observed something in them before the witch hid it away concealed by rolling her eyes. Maybe Regina’s words had gotten through to her, even a tiny bit. There might be hope for her yet.

 

Death was not a suitable punishment for a newly minted hero to carry out. Emma was beyond proud of Regina right now and even though Zelena had threatened everyone she loved, she was glad that there was still the opportunity that the two women might be reconciled one day. Maybe they could even have a relationship. It was far in the future probably but there was still a chance. One that would not be possible if Zelena were dead.

 

Gold sneered behind them. “You may be prepared to let her off easy... but I’m not.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Zelena shrieked as she was dragged through the dirt. It looked she was being drawn behind invisible horses like the punishment in the old days. She ended up at Gold’s feet and immediately tried to back away from him but every effort she made he countered with magic.

 

“Gold, stop!” Emma gave him an order. She held up the curvy dagger and willed him to obey.

 

“She killed Bae!” cried Gold, obviously angry at having his magic restrained. “She killed MY SON. She has to pay for that!”

 

Regina glowered at her former master. “I just told her we wouldn’t kill her.”

 

“You can’t be serious! Since when are you above killing family members?”

 

“Since now. Good magic must never be used to kill. I’d forfeit it by doing so.”

 

Gold held up his hands to punctuate each word with a flourish. “That's why I offered to do the killing, dearie.”

 

“Not today,” said Emma. “Regina’s the hero and she said no killing, so there will be no killing. You are not to harm Zelena. Understood?”

 

As much as Emma sympathised with Gold over Neal’s death she couldn’t bring herself to watch while Zelena was executed. It would solve nothing, certainly it would not bring back her son’s father. It couldn’t fix the hurt and guilt she felt that were associated with all her memories of Neal. Just like Regina, Zelena had been screwed over in life partly by their mother and also by everyone they’d come into contact with while vulnerable. Wouldn’t it make Emma a hypocrite to put aside one sister’s past and not the other’s?

 

Regina has changed, her thoughts reminded her. She’s worked really hard to turn her life around. She just needed a reason to hope and some support. She has Henry and me. Maybe Zelena can change one day too if only she gets the chance.

 

But Zelena had no-one. She was an orphan too and even though Emma couldn’t go as far as to identify with her anger and desire for revenge, she could admit that she knew all about growing up feeling alone and unwanted.

 

“Gold?” Emma slid the dagger through the belt loop on her skirt. “I need you to take Zelena to the Sheriff’s Station and lock her in a cell. For her own safety and ours, she’ll stay there until we determine that she’s no longer a threat. I’m ordering you not to kill, hurt, or endanger her in any way. Not even ‘accidentally on purpose’. Clear?”

 

“You’re keeping the dagger then,” Gold observed. “Is the Dark One to be under your control from now on?”

 

“I don’t want that kind of responsibility. But I have a feeling there’s someone in town who is willing to take you on. You can be the prisoner instead, that’ll even the score between you and her.”

 

“Belle.” The former ‘beast’ correctly guessed her intentions. “Give me the dagger, I’ll pass it on to her.”

 

“Nope.” Emma shook her head. “I will. Just in case. You know how you are.”

 

The others faded into the background for a minute while Emma's attention was drawn to one of the four spell ingredients laying on the ground. She heard Regina alternately snarking at Gold and trying to coerce Zelena to get up and go with him. Not an easy task between three magical egos.

 

Emma approached the basket and smiled at her new baby brother as she knelt down.

 

"Hi," she said softly. "I'm your big sister, Emma. Let's hope that you and I get along better than the Mills siblings eh? You’re safe now. I bet you can’t wait to meet your Mommy and Daddy properly.  You’re so lucky."

 

Emma placed both hands under the newborn's tiny weight and lifted him into her arms. She stood and started swaying him gently, unable to resist looking for similarities in his physical features to her own.

 

She felt Regina appear at her side. The others had finally left.

 

Regina smiled widely, looking into the baby’s face as well. She brushed her fingers over his soft hair. "Well, hello there. Your parents may be idiots but believe me you could do much worse. You on the other hand are a perfect angel... Oh, Emma, he looks so much like Henry did when he was a baby. Don’t you think so?"

 

“I don’t know.” Emma’s expression was mixed with regret. “I didn’t get to see Henry after he was born. Only in the memories you gave me. Weren’t they fake?”

 

"Those were inspired by my own memories, altered so that it was you there instead. I suppose we were both there, in a way, at different times."

 

"We've been separate for too long in the past. How about we make some new memories with the three of us together in future?"

 

"I'd like nothing more." Regina’s eyes dropped down to Emma’s lips for a split second. There was a beat where they both felt the pull towards one another but simultaneously decided it wasn’t the right now. Not yet. Not here.

 

"Did you retrieve your heart?" asked Emma.

 

"Yes."

 

Regina stared down at the blackened heart that lay pulsing in her hand. It was a relief to know that it was safely returned to her, no matter how much she must have hated having to behold its damaged appearance. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light but it seemed brighter than usual.

 

“Not a pretty sight is it,” murmured Regina.

 

“It’s been through a lot,” said Emma. “You survived and got stronger. That’s what it means to be the most resilient.”

 

“I suppose it must have been worth it since it got me Henry. And you.”

 

Emma watched with fascination as Regina held her own heart to her chest and pushed it back where it belonged. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever get used to the concept of magical heart removal. Regina tried to describe the difficult concept of the gradual dulling of her emotions to her while her heart was removed. Now it was obvious that she was feeling everything with her whole heart and it showed on her face. Especially when she looked at Emma. Or the baby. She was even more beautiful, if that was possible.

 

“Make sure it stays where it belongs this time,” said Emma. “No more giving it away.”

 

"Not even to you?" Regina said archly.

 

Emma’s reply was smug. "Apparently I've already got it.”

 

"We'll see."

 

"I'll get you, my pretty... if it's the last thing I do. Er, not in a creepy possessive way though."

 

All of a sudden the newborn in her arms began to cry short punctuated mewls of distress. Emma shifted him, wondering if she was doing something wrong. Her experience with infants was limited to the memories of baby Henry that Regina had planted in her mind. The poor thing was probably desperate for his mother.

 

“Hey, is there some trick to this? Where’s the off switch for the crying.”

 

Regina held her arms out and accepted the transfer of the bundle’s tiny weight. She wrapped the blanket around him more snugly. To both their surprise the baby stopped crying instantly. How strange that Mary Margaret’s child should find comfort in his mother’s enemy’s arms when Regina’s own child had taken weeks to adjust to her.

 

“Babies like to feel secure,” Regina said softly. “You have to hold them close so they don’t feel like they’re going to fall.”

 

“l think maybe my little bro just likes cuddling up to your boobs.”

 

Regina raised a brow. “Jealous?”

 

“Yes,” Emma said in a duh voice.

 

"Later, dear. If you're lucky."

 

“We should get him back to the hospital right away.”

 

The two of them silently agreed to continue the conversation later. Emma was relieved that Regina wasn’t going to deny her feelings now that they weren’t all going to die. Making a near-death confession was easier than following through with the start of a relationship.

 

The three of them disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Storybrooke Hospital

 

Mary Margaret’s cheeks were still dripping tears as she gazed at the face of her newborn son.

 

The infant had been given the all-clear by the doctors and was gratefully returned to his mother not long after he arrived at the hospital in the arms of the former Evil Queen who saved him. Regina left after that to “go get something” but she promised to be back. Mary Margaret was reluctant to let her go as she was dying to show her gratitude and would not be denied easily.

 

David and Mary Margaret then spent some time alone comforting each other and sharing cuddles with their son. This time around they didn’t have to deal with losing their child for good. Neither parent could tear their eyes away from the sight of the beautiful baby who had finally made his appearance in the world.

 

At last, when Henry could no longer be kept waiting, he and Emma were ushered in for a short visit.

 

While the family was enjoying their time together with the newest member, Emma explained to the others what happened at the battle and what Zelena’s real motives were. Although she managed to cover the sequence of events she was still puzzled by one question.

 

“What do you think would’ve happened if Zelena had succeeded in going back in time?” asked Emma.

 

“None of you would exist,” said David.

 

“But then the baby would never have existed either,” said Henry, with all the confidence of a know-it-all teenager. “So she would have used the baby to do something that would prevent the baby from ever existing. That’s a time paradox. It’s impossible because of Einstein’s General Relativity.”

 

Emma coughed into her hand. “Nerd.”

 

Mary Margaret smiled at her family. “I guess this is the way things were meant to be. We were all meant to be together as a family. No matter who has tried to keep us apart in the past, they’ve all failed. This shows that Evil can never win.”

 

The Charmings all looked up at a figure who frozen in the doorway mid-knock. Regina seemed startled and her mouth was open slightly as though she were caught without words. She was holding a large basket packed with baby things and wrapped in clear cellophane. The shiny plastic was gathered at the top and secured with a light blue satin bow.

 

Regina seemed to be wondering if she was welcome or not. “Sorry, I’m late. I can come back later-”

 

“No!” said everyone.

 

“Please come in,” said Mary Margaret. “Now everyone is here who is meant to be.”

 

David got up to be a gentleman. He placed a hand on Regina's arm and ushered her in, then shut the door behind her. Regina went up to Mary Margaret’s bedside and placed the basket on the nightstand next to the bed.

 

“Hey Mom,” greeted Henry. “Where have you been?”

 

“I had to drop in at home for the gift.” Regina then said to Mary Margaret. “I brought you some things. I knew you hadn’t bought anything other than the crib and you didn’t have a baby shower so… I’ve been organising a layette and supplies for the baby.”

 

“Thank you! Oh,” the new mother cooed over the sight of the pile of goodies, necessities, and tiny baby onesies. “Regina, you are literally my saviour right now. I’m so unprepared, I don’t even have any diapers at home!”

 

“There’s almost nothing that can really prepare you for the first few weeks. Diapers are the least of your worries.”

 

David raised his eyebrows. “Well, at least we know who to go to for help. Or a babysitter.”

 

“Actually,” Mary Margaret ventured to say, though it was clear she was uncertain about what she was going to ask. “We were thinking that you might like a different role in the baby’s life, Regina.”

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

David finished his wife’s request. “Would you do us the honour of being one of our son’s godparents? We’ve asked Emma as well.”

 

Regina rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re both idiots.”

 

“No, not really!” said Mary Margaret in earnest. “You and Emma could share the godmotherly duties, not that you two are able to share anything without a squabble I suppose. I really want to thank you for saving my son. Please?”

 

“I think the pregnancy hormones have addled your brain... but I accept. For the baby’s sake of course, he seems to be the one Charming who I can actually tolerate. Probably because he can't talk yet."

 

Nobody believed that Regina was only going easy on Mary Margaret because she’d recently given birth. The sly look the former princess gave her said she knew exactly how much Regina had come to “tolerate” one of the other Charmings. Naturally Regina pretended not to notice but it was a relief to know that parental objections wouldn’t put an early end to her budding relationship with Emma.

 

On the night of the seance, when all of this began, Mary Margaret had gone into the kitchen to find Regina after she’d fled. Having to confront her husband and some of her worst memories in detail in front of people who she’d rather not know at all left Regina feeling distressed. As usual the tacit former queen did not want to talk, however, after being starved of sympathy for so long she could hardly help it.

 

The two women had known each other for a long time and it showed. Mary Margaret had seen a young Regina in love before and she recognised the signs in her again.

 

“I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you,” said Mary Margaret during their heart-to-heart confessions. “To consider having a relationship again after what you’ve been through. You’re wasting your time.”

 

“Excuse me?” Regina frowned at what she thought was a slight until her former enemy grasped her hand and explained.

 

“You have so much potential for love in your heart but you won’t let yourself try. Sooner or later someone will come into your life who you can be happy with. Maybe they already have. Why are you denying yourself the chance?”

 

Regina bit her lips together and tasted the salt of tears. “It’s not possible. You know it’s not.”

 

“But it is! Don’t miss out on happiness because you think others might stand in your way.”

 

Could it be possible that they were talking about the same person? Regina couldn’t believe it. How had Mary Margaret guessed? Did she know something? Emma’s defense of her to Leopold’s ghost showed she had some feelings for her but was it mere compassion or something more? Was Mary Margaret trying to tell her that she would not stand in the way of her daughter’s happiness, even if she found it with her mortal enemy?

 

“The things I’ve done...” murmured Regina. “How could someone look past all of that?”

 

Mary Margaret smiled. “Well, I can’t speak for ‘someone’ but they understand you better than you know and I'm sure they feel the same about you. Perhaps it’s someone who wants to be forgiven for their own past mistakes.”

 

Regina slowly absorbed the advice but wasn't sure whether she could bring herself to make the first move. Mary Margaret had practically spelled out Emma's name. That was a parental blessing in disguise if she’d ever heard one...

 

Regina was the first to suggest they leave the new parents alone. "We should get going. Emma?"

 

"Yep." Emma agreed and got up to kiss her mother goodbye. Mary Margaret thanked her profusely and David gave her a bear hug as usual.

 

"But Mom," Henry protested. "I want to hold the baby again when he wakes up."

 

"We can come back tomorrow, kid," said Emma. "Visiting hours are nearly over anyways."

 

Regina gathered their coats and handed theirs to Emma and Henry. "Your mother and I are starving, unlike you we missed lunch as well as breakfast. Let's go home for some dinner."

 

"Home as in Mifflin St?" said Emma.

 

"Cool!" said Henry. "So. When are we going to move in with Mom, Emma?”

 

 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	10. Part 10

 

_Storybrooke Hospital_

"How are you feeling?" David kept his voice soft. He leaned over to stroke Mary Margaret's dark bangs back off her forehead as she became awake.

The maternity ward was dimly lit since it was after dinner and nearing the end of visiting hours. He wished the time would pass more slowly, not wanting to leave his wife and baby son so soon. The rest of the ward was quiet with only the muted sounds of a television down the hall.

Earlier the baby had been taken away to join the other newborns in their array of clear plastic portable cots. But Mary Margaret was distressed at the idea of him being out of her sight, which was understandable given that she'd now had two children ripped from her arms shortly after birth. So the nurses brought Baby Charming back to his mother's room where he was now sleeping peacefully.

David noticed his wife stirring awake even though the baby wasn't crying. "Do you need me to call the nurse? Are you feeling alright, my love?"

Mary Margaret still had her eyes closed when she smiled. "I'm fine, just a little sore. You're still here. Aren't visiting hours over?"

"Nearly. I plan to hide under the bed when the nurse comes to check so that I can stay with you."

"David, you should go home and get some sleep. You're going to need it."

"I want to be here for you," he said with concern. "You shouldn't be alone after what happened today with the baby."

"He's right over there, sleeping like a log. Just like his Daddy."

"We nearly lost our son-"

"But we didn't." Mary Margaret gave him a significant look and grasped his hand. "He's safe."

He sighed. "Thanks to Emma."

"Thanks to Regina mostly. Our daughter is more street smart than strategic and her magical training hasn't been easy. It sounded like all she did was lead the cheer squad for Regina and give her the strength she needed to break the curse and fight Zelena herself."

"Somehow I can't imagine Emma as a cheerleader and I doubt Regina cares about anyone's opinion of her, let alone Emma's."

Mary Margaret opened her mouth and then stopped. "Ah well… there you'd be wrong. Regina cares  _a lot_  about what Emma thinks of her. That tends to happen when you fall in love."

David spluttered out a response before his brain could fully process the shock. "W-what? You don't mean ' _in love'_  in love, do you? Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm the only one alive who remembers what Regina is like when she's in love. I'm also the one who had to listen to Emma's two-hour-long rants about every single thing Regina has said or done every day since they first met. Don't you remember it? They were obsessed with each other."

"Hmm."

"The past is in the past," Mary Margaret warned in a sing-song voice. "If I can move on and be ok with the Evil Queen dating my daughter then we all can. She really has changed. Have you seen Emma after they've been together lately? She's actually looks almost happy! That's all I ever wanted for her."

"Me too." David brushed his hand through his hair in frustration and looked down at his feet with a frown. This wasn't exactly the kind of news he was expecting. Emma and  _Regina_? He tried going over the past in his mind to look for the clues that he had missed.

He ought to hate Regina after what she'd put Snow through. At times he had been angry enough to kill her. But there was something about the former evil sorceress that triggered his protectiveness, especially after his old memories came back. She seemed like a genteel lady (more like how she must have been in her youth) whenever she dropped the Evil Queen persona. It was better for everyone if she was able to turn her life around. That was great. But did she really have to find her happiness with Emma, his baby girl?

He'd never really considered the idea of his daughter as a real adult. To him she felt like a larger, talking version of the infant he'd placed in the wardrobe. It was odd to think of her dating, having a romantic relationship and… ahem, participating in everything that was associated with that.

Every father of a daughter knows that one day someone will come along and sweep his little girl of her feet. He had assumed that it would be a Prince who captured his daughter's heart but that wasn't the main cause of his concern. David felt like he was losing Emma without ever really getting the chance to be her Daddy. She had grown up having to get used to him not being there for her. She was someone else's to protect now. She didn't need him anymore. He had let her down.

"Regina was right," he murmured. "I don't even know my daughter. She chewed me out earlier today about it."

Mary Margaret sighed in exasperation. "Oh, David, Regina was just stirring you up. Emma knows how much you love her."

"Maybe she doesn't. No, please listen. It's different with me and her. You two are mother and daughter, you shared everything for the first nine months of her life and even though she may not remember it, you do. That's the kind of connection that lasts. You two were close friends from the moment you met in Storybrooke. I don't have any of that with Emma."

"You are her father, it was you who saved her by getting her to the wardrobe in time. But now we have to accept that Emma's childhood is over, nothing can change that and as hard as it is to know what she went through alone we can't go back. But Emma still needs you. One day she's going to have a fight with Regina - probably soon - and she's going to storm over to our place and say ' _Dad, what do I do? She's driving me crazy!_ ' and then you two will bond over Ikea furniture to take her mind off of things. You two are so alike sometimes."

David wasn't entirely convinced and he was resolved now to try harder to bring Emma out of her shell around him. She was independent and hard to get to know. It wasn't her fault of course - but he wanted her to be able to come to him with anything.

He was so out of touch with what was happening in her life that it was a surprise to find out that she was not only seeing a woman but that it was Regina. Apparently it was serious too. Had she dated women before? Had she gotten over losing Neal? How long had she been feeling this way about her son's mother? David knew almost nothing about his daughter's past and little about her present.

Despite being an adult it must have hurt her on some level to be displaced by a sibling. Normally adults had well and truly gotten over any sibling rivalry. But in a way Emma had lost her status as their only child almost as soon as she'd been returned to them.

"I think we should ask Emma if she wants to name the baby," David announced after thinking about it for some time.

"That's a great idea!" Mary Margaret smiled and nodded. "It can be her first Big Sister Privilege. Maybe it'll help her feel more included."

"I should probably take her fishing too."

Mary Margaret laughed and then quickly checked to see that she hadn't woken the baby. "Is that something Emma has expressed an interest in?"

"I… don't know actually."

"It sounds like Regina has been riling you up again. Henry is the one who likes fishing."

"Then I will take them both. In a few weeks, after we get the baby settled at home. I'll take Emma and Henry down to the marina. It'll be great."

"Take Regina too."

David gave her a look of disbelief. He couldn't imagine the prim and proper Mayor doing anything so messy and outdoorsy. "Are you sure?"

Mary Margaret's smile twitched as she revealed something she had known about her former Stepmother for quite some time.

"Where do you think she got the idea from? Regina's father used to take her fishing when she was a little girl, that is, until Cora found out about it. I believe Regina used to take Henry down to the marina sometimes too. She's quite scary with a filleting knife actually."

The baby woke up for his feeding just before visiting hours were over. David managed to convince the nurse to let him stay for a few minutes longer by using his Charming smile. But after a while it became clear that he was wearing out his welcome. He kissed his wife and baby goodnight, reluctantly leaving them for only as many hours as necessary.

Mary Margaret reached into the basket of baby things Regina brought earlier and handed David a blue teddy bear to take home with him.

"Oh, David!" she whispered as he was walking out. "Can you put the crib together and the change table, please?"

"Sure." He gave his wife a lopsided grin. "I might call Emma to come over and help."

"No! Don't call Emma. Not this time."

David was confused. "Why?"

"Just don't." Mary Margaret sighed with a smile. "I have a feeling she's got her hands full tonight."

* * *

_Driving home to 108 Mifflin St, earlier that evening._

Once the three of them were bundled into the car Henry asked the question again. "When are we going to move in?"

Regina assumed the worst when Emma didn't answer straight away. She couldn't understand what would make her hesitate about moving back. There was nothing waiting for her in New York, all of her family was here, they were starting some kind of relationship together weren't they? What was there for her to think about?

Neither of them had said anything to each other since Henry brought up the topic of moving to Storybrooke, which made for a tense silence in the car on the way home.

Henry had been a little overzealous that they all move into the same house right away. They certainly weren't ready for that. But Regina had assumed that her son and his mother would at least move to town. She knew Emma's original plan had been to return to New York after they defeated Zelena but Regina was reluctant to ask now in case she didn't like what she heard. Unlike her, her son was not going to put up with the lack of an answer.

"You guys aren't fighting anymore are you?" said Henry. "Mom? Emma, when we move to Storybrooke where are we going to live?"

"Uh kid-" Emma shot her a glance, obviously uncomfortable. "We have to talk about this."

"What's there to talk about? We're home."

"There's a few things to work out."

"Like what?"

Regina stared straight ahead. "Yes, Emma. Like what?"

She knew she was being snippy but she couldn't help it. Emma's hesitation had her on edge. Having Henry on her side was an added bonus even if she could tell that Emma must be feeling ganged up on.

Knowing that Henry's grilling session would continue once they were inside the house, Emma asked if they three could all sit down as a family in the lounge room to talk. Regina took a seat on the couch and Henry crawled up next to her, leaving Emma to sit on the coffee table in front of them. The boy seemed to know that the topic was in danger of becoming adversarial and was making his position well-known.

"Um, so I think-" Emma paused nervously. "Henry, I was going to talk to your Mom about this first. But I figure that you deserve to know what's going to happen to you so we should discuss it together as a family. You ok with that?"

Henry nodded cautiously. "Yeah. As long as you listen to what I want."

"Yes. I want to do what's best for you. That's why I think you should stay here while I go back to New York by myself."

Regina startled. "You  _what_?!"

"Nooo," Henry complained. "You have to stay too, Mom - Emma. We have to stick together."

"Guys, it's ok, I'm coming back. But first I have to go cancel the lease and pack up the apartment, then finish up some work things and go to the school to cancel Henry's enrolment. I can't afford to keep paying for all that stuff if we're not there. I'll only be gone for a short while."

"Oh, that's ok then." Henry breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll stay with Mom until you get back. I guess I'll be going back-n-forth a lot after that. Are we getting an apartment here?"

"Yeah, about that- I'm not sure what kind of place I can afford here, especially since I'm technically unemployed. Are you ok with living between places? Or would you rather stay with one of us? You don't have to decide right away, just have a think about it."

Regina smoothed her son's hair and spoke gently. "I care about what makes you happy, Henry. This will always be your house too and you're welcome here whenever you like. But if you want to keep living with Emma I'll understand. We'll still get to see each other all the time. I promise."

"Same here," Emma surprised them both by saying. "If you want to move back in with your Mom I'm ok with that. Even though I'll miss you like crazy every day."

"You promise you're not going to fight like before?" said Henry. "You're not going to take me back to New York?"

"No. I'm not going to try to take you away. I want you to be close to your Mom and I have a feeling that she's given up trying to stop you from being with me too. We're a team now. So it won't be like before."

"Good, because I don't want to choose."

They listened to Henry explain that he didn't want to have to make the decision at all. He didn't want to choose one of them because he'd feel guilty about hurting the other one. He knew how much they each wanted him to choose her but he also didn't want them to fight over him any more. He didn't want the other Mom to be sad or lonely. The grownups tried as best they could to reassure him that those days were over.

Secretly they were both amazed that a compromise was reached so easily. But it seemed effortless now in light of how they felt about each other, as opposed to when they were fighting over parental rights as well as repressed sexual attraction.

Emma and Regina had been exchanging longing glances the whole time, which brought Henry to his next line of questioning.

"So." Henry gave them both sly looks. "You're dating aren't you."

"Uh well-" Emma seemed flummoxed by the directness of his question.

"There haven't been any actual dates," said Regina. "But there will be. Isn't that right, Emma?"

"I hadn't really thought about it yet-"

Henry cut in. "But you're in love. So one day you're gonna move in together right? Maybe even get married? That would be cool. We should live here because it's bigger and it's got a yard. Hey, can we get a dog? Or maybe even a baby brother or sister! This is gonna be awesome."

"Slow down," Regina laughed. "I think you've succeeded in terrifying the Saviour. Look at her face."

"Very funny," grumbled Emma.

A series of rings came from nearby.

"Was that my phone?" Henry leapt up and ran out of the room to go find wherever he had managed to toss his phone on the way into the house.

Regina shook her head at her near-teenage son's boundless energy wondering where it had come from and yet she was pleased to see him so happy. It was definitely a relief to know that he wanted to stay in Storybrooke. No matter what living arrangements the three of them came up with she would still be able to see her son every day. As hard as it would be to let him go sometimes, it would be an infinite improvement upon last year.

Her life was so empty without him in it. If there was one thing she ought to thank Zelena for it was for distracting her from ending her life long enough to find a way back to her real reason to live. Now, she had not only her son but perhaps a chance at a real happy ending as well. She had Emma, someone who was strong enough to see through her evil past and to love her back.

Henry seemed to be more than ok with the idea of his mothers getting together as a couple too. She had wondered what his reaction might be, since as a child he had never known her to seriously date anyone.

Henry was going to be fine but Regina wasn't so sure about Emma right now. Her son's mother looked panicked, she was chewing on her lower lip. What was going on inside her head? Something would have to be done to distract her...

Regina put on a stern voice. "Do you make a habit of sitting on furniture not designed for that purpose, Miss Swan?"

"Huh? Oh!" Emma jumped up from the coffee table off the coffee table to her feet. "Sorry."

"Who are you and what have you done with Emma Swan? Since when do you apologise to me for anything? I was expecting you to say ' _got a better place for me to sit, Mayor_?' or something of that nature."

The innuendo had the desired result, although it didn't help Emma's ability to form sentences at present. Regina was inordinately pleased to see the effect she had on her. From her position on the couch she let her eyes rake over Emma's form, down slowly and back up again, with nothing innocent about it.

Emma's lips twitched into a grin and she propped her hands on her hips. "That's… You are so unfair."

Regina opened her palm and pretended to study it. She blew a puff of air and a large round vegetable appeared. It was a rutabaga, the same thing Emma's troubled magic produced aplenty this morning.

"This is for you. As a symbol of my affections."

"Now you're mocking my magical ability?" said Emma.

"You're the one whose magic thinks rutabagas are more romantic than roses. I only want my intentions to be clear," Regina replied, paraphrasing Emma's words from that morning.

"Oh, really? What intentions are those."

"The same ones you have I imagine."

Emma opened her mouth as though she was going to describe exactly what situations she had been imagining. Their banter got interrupted when Henry ran back in holding his phone and backpack. Maybe he didn't notice the sexual tension in the air but if he did he didn't say anything. He walked in them just as things were about to get interesting.

"Hey, Moms," Henry waved. "I'm going over to Archie's tonight. Love you both. Bye!"

"Hold your horses." Emma trotted after him and grabbed his sleeve before he could get away out the front door. "Where are you going?"

"Archie got a new telescope so we're going to go into the woods and try it out. It's a clear sky. He said we'll be back late and I can stay over. So I'll be gone all night ok."

Regina got up from the couch to follow them. "Henry, who's idea was this? Did Dr Hopper say it was alright for you to come over? I hope you were polite and waited to be asked… or did you invite yourself?"

"No-ooo. Archie asked me."

Emma gave him a parental look. "You only got your memories back today and your Mom's missed you a lot over the past year. Maybe you should spend some time with her?"

"I'll be fine, Henry," Regina smiled and reached out to stroke his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow. Go. Learn some astronomy, have fun, and give my regards to Dr Hopper."

"Cool. Thanks Mom!"

For once Emma was being The Strict Mom, she reminded him to thank Archie for the invite and to be a good guest. Then instructed him to stop by Granny's and get his toothbrush and PJs from the room on the way. The boy accepted a hug and kiss from Regina and after finally shrugging Emma's questions off he left them with a wave.

Henry was halfway to the gate when Emma called to him. "Hey, do you want us to drop you off?"

"Mom, it's Storybrooke not the Bronx. I'll walk."

The two women watched their son down the street in companionable silence. Regina was perfectly comfortable with him venturing around Storybrooke on his own. He had been riding his bike to the Main Street shops by himself since he was ten. It was one of the niceties of living in a small town that was safe. In addition to the advantage the Mayor had always had, which was knowing in detail the identities of exactly who lived in the town.

There weren't many who would dare to endanger the son of the Mayor and there were even fewer who were willing to risk the wrath of the Evil Queen.

Emma gaped as she came to a realisation that they were now alone for the night. "I think we've just been set up. Sneaky little so-and-so..."

"What are you going to do about it, Saviour?"

Regina's voice was suggestive and flirty but she wasn't content to wait for what she'd been imagining for some time now. Never let it be said that the Evil Queen shied away from going after something once she decided it was what she wanted.

Regina leaned in close and placed her left hand under Emma's jaw, letting her thumb graze over the skin of her cheek. They locked eyes in a stalemate, waiting to see who would be the first to cave in to what the anticipation promised. Emma's eyes were the first to close. Her lips parted teasingly as she drew in and then paused a millimetre away. The desire to taste her became far too strong. Regina couldn't wait any longer to close the gap herself and as soon as their lips met the newness and wonder of it overwhelmed her. She stifled a moan at how perfect it felt and then scrunched the shoulder of Emma's shirt in her hand to pull her closer.

_I never thought I'd have this..._

The past, the future, and the rest of the present floated away as the lovers kissed on the very porch where they met years ago.


	11. Chapter 11

 

_108 Mifflin St, the same night_

When evening fell dinner became the next issue. Regina was expecting and hoping that Emma was going to stay (all night actually) since they had the house to themselves (she made a mental note to buy Henry a new video game for his efforts), and now that she was practically bursting with love she wanted to throw herself into it fully. But Emma for once seemed to be having trouble making herself at home in the Mifflin St manor.

It was probably because of the pressure she was receiving from just about everyone. They expected her to fit right back into Storybrooke life as though no time had passed. Today hadn't exactly been a normal day. She knew that Emma was still adjusting to having a family to support her and to keeping her magical powers under control. It was a lot to deal with at once.

Regina ended up suggesting that she go to her room at Granny's to shower and change (" _You've been rolling around a hospital floor and a dirty barn, dear_ ") while dinner was cooking so that there would be an excuse for her to get out for a spell and to not come back if she was still feeling overwrought.

When Emma got back an hour later she smelled shower-fresh with bright clear skin and there was a candlelit dinner waiting for her. She looked all the better after having some space to herself. Her appreciation was genuine when she noticed that Regina had also bathed and changed into a new dress. The earlier battle felt like ancient history when Emma told her that dinner smelled amazing and kissed her hello as though it was normal. Most importantly she had returned with a bottle of wine and an overnight bag.

They talked a lot over dinner and afterwards as they were enjoying the wine in front of the fireplace, trying to make sense out of the crazy things that had happened to them in the last few years. No matter what they talked about tonight the conversation kept meandering around their relationship though.

Regina was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that she had a sister she never knew about. They were only half-sisters but the similarities between the Mills girls' fates were difficult to ignore. Both had suffered at the hands of their mother and Rumpelstiltskin.

"What do you think will happen to Zelena?" said Regina.

Emma took a sip from her wine glass. "She'll come around. I think you might've gotten through to her."

"I doubt it. There's that Charming optimism of yours laying unfounded claims again."

"Well, you let her live, so there's still hope. I think you did the right thing."

"Yes, but you also think flannel is an acceptable fabric for daywear, forgive me if I don't trust your judgement." Regina made it quite clear that she was referring to a shirt currently being worn by a certain Miss Swan.

Emma lifted her brows. "I'll take it off if you want?"

"Don't you dare! I plan to unwrap you myself as a reward for putting up with you all this time."

"I wouldn't say no to that."

Sitting in front of a fire sipping alcohol was how they had their very first conversation, yet the circumstances now were far less awkward and uncomfortable. The attraction was still there, stronger than ever. How different their relationship might have been if it had not started as an adversarial custody dispute over their son. Perhaps the fights and the painful misunderstandings had been necessary to come to their present understanding though.

Emma scooted on her backside up against the lounge so that they could face the crackling fireplace together on the rug. She hooked an arm around Regina's waist and pulled her back into her arms where she settled as though they had often sat this close. The heat of the fire lulled them into a thoughtful silence for a while.

Emma placed a kiss on her temple and murmured into her dark hair. "Will you tell me something?"

"That depends."

"What happened at the hospital today? When I was unconscious… what the hell did Zelena say to you to upset you so much?"

Regina bit her lips together as a sudden flood of tears blurred her vision. In an instant she was back in that hospital corridor reliving the moment. An image of a heartbreaking scene flashed through her mind and she could feel the same fear as though it were happening all over again. It happened so long ago yet she could still smell the hay and horses of the stables as if it were yesterday. The pain that followed hadn't faded either.

_Wait, no - that was the wrong memory._  Zelena's threat today had triggered her terror of losing another loved one, of seeing Emma killed while she was powerless to stop it. Another precious heart turned to dust along with her hopes and future happiness. Her dream to love had been shattered. It wasn't a memory of a past event but it had felt real enough in that split second. Losing Emma, another true love.

" _Please no, not again! I can't."_

The heat from the fire was stinging her eyes. Regina blinked the intrusive thoughts away and remembered where she really was. Safe. Emma was holding her in her arms.

"My sister …" Regina breathed out. "She threatened to rip your heart out and crush it right in front of me. Just like my mother did to Daniel. I saw it happen in my mind. I can't - I can't go through that again. I really can't."

"You won't have to," Emma said in a firm voice. "That will never happen. Cora tried in Fairytale Land but she couldn't take my heart. My magic protected me. Your Mom looked pretty pissed off about it too."

"You bested  _my mother_ at magic?"

"You should've seen her face when I told her we 'shared a son'. It was like I'd told her I'd seduced you into some sordid lesbian romance."

Regina snorted at the image she could easily imagine. "That's not too far from the truth. No wonder Mother looked at me strangely when she appeared in Storybrooke after you put that idea into her head. Status was all she cared about. The wrong gender would have been bad enough, but she'd have hated the idea of my carrying on with a delinquent orphan of no consequence such as yourself."

"Excuse me?" Emma said with a straight face. "I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. It's  _Princess_  Delinquent Orphan to you, especially if you think we're going to be 'carrying on' later."

"Speaking of your parents..."

"Oh no, do we have to go there?" whined Emma. "I know what you're thinking. But they'll just have to get used to us being together."

"Regardless, I'm not certain that I know how to do this."

"Me either. My relationship history sucks."

Regina brought up the topic that had overwhelmed Emma earlier that afternoon. "Henry seems to know exactly what our future trajectory is... Marriage? Children? He seems to have skipped a few steps."

"Yeah. Let's just take it one day at a time. About the living arrangements… um, I don't want to get into it right now but I'm not so good with moving and I'm used to being on my own. You're aware of my pathetic orphan sob-story. I know Storybrooke is Henry's home, but it's not mine. Not yet. Nowhere feels like home to me. I don't know how long it's going to take to get used to that concept. I want to be with you but-"

Emma sighed at her own confusion. "I need some time. Please understand?"

"I do." Regina nodded her reassurance. "I don't want you to move in here until you're ready. Besides, the last person who moved in wasn't even house-trained and he cried all night long. I won't be making that mistake again."

By the looks of it Emma knew exactly what she meant, nostalgia in her face at the memory of little baby Henry. "Well, I am house-trained but I can't promise that I won't keep you up all night."

"You don't sound very sorry about it."

"I'm not."

Regina cocked an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yep," nodded Emma.

The brightness of the fireplace bathed them in a warm glow. Regina couldn't help staring at Emma, admiring her face and her precious mass of shining gold tresses. She wasn't being subtle at all now that she didn't have to conceal herself any longer.

Emma lowered her chin and smiled in a way Regina hadn't seen before, it was adorable. In her past life she'd had precious few reasons to smile, in a world that neglected orphans who already suffered the hurt of not being wanted. She'd missed out on that first joy that most babies learn to reciprocate during infancy, that of seeing a mother's loving face smiling down on her while she laid in her crib. Not for the first time Regina was awed by how beautiful a person Emma had become despite her rough beginnings.

Her heart was the jewel in the crown of her strength. It was no wonder, given the love shared by her parents. This girl with the sword and the princess curls was the one they called the Saviour. She was supposed to bring back the happy endings and save everyone from the dreaded curse. But it wasn't she who had defeated Pan, or Zelena, or Cora or any of the villains.

The only one the Saviour managed to save, over and over again without fail, was Regina. By bringing an end to the darkness in the former Evil Queen's heart, as the prophecy foretold long before her birth.

Emma kept her alive long enough for her to finally learn to save herself.

Regina leaned in for a kiss, gentle and loving. "Thank you."

"What for?" Emma was puzzled but still smiling.

Regina smiled too. "Nothing, dear. You'll never know."

* * *

The bottle of wine was now empty and so were both glasses. The room was overly hot from the fire and it was making them sleepy. Regina leaned over for a kiss and then loaded a multitude of questions into a single word. "Upstairs?"

She took her by the hand as they passed by Henry's room on the first floor of the house. Like always she felt a pang at the loss of keepsakes and reminders of her son that used to be on display there. The two mothers stopped in the doorway to contemplate the empty room.

Remembering Emma's ability to see beyond realms through mirrors, a power that surpassed the ordinary, gave Regina an idea. As soon as she suggested what she had in mind Emma closed her eyes and concentrated. Her magic drew on Regina's fledgling light magic and she worked it hard to do as she willed.

When the white glittering mist cleared, the boy's bedroom became restored to its former state. All of his things reappeared just as they had been before the curse. Even the thick old tome with 'ONCE UPON A TIME' embossed in gold on the cover lay waiting on the blue-checkered quilt for its most ardent fan to return.

Emma gasped when she opened her eyes. "Henry's stuff is back. The book! Did you do that?"

"No," Regina shook her head. "But I felt your magic access mine."

"What does that mean?"

"You used my power like an extra battery. It's - never mind. Clearly I have still more to teach you, though you seem to be hitting upon your own methods quite well."

Emma shrugged. "I wonder what else did we do?"

Regina thought for a second and then ran to her own bedroom to check. Then saw that it wasn't only Henry's things that had returned. Her treasure trove of baby memorabilia had reappeared in the storage box sitting beside the bed (it was empty yesterday) and her son's school photo was sitting in its frame once more on the mantle. Emma's presence in her life was a gift that kept on giving it seemed.

Here was the evidence that her life with Henry had been real. These solid memories testified that she was his mother.

Regina was awed by yet another thing else Emma had done for her.

"I love seeing you happy," said Emma's voice behind her. "That's what I was thinking about. I wanted this for you."

"Do you know the significance of this? You conjured objects that disappeared in the past. That is no ordinary magic. Emma, you have no idea how powerful you truly are."

"Because I'm the child of True Love?"

Regina was surprised. "You believe in True Love?"

Emma raised her shoulders noncommittally. "I'm not sure. I don't feel powerful most of the time, I'm just me. I only know what I feel for you and Henry. It's just like you said, we are powerful together. A few days ago I couldn't conjure a marble from one room to the next… that is, until you taught me."

"When I agreed to give you magic lessons, I didn't realise that I would learn from you too."

"What do you mean?"

"You draw the strength of your powers from love, not anger. It's - it's been so long since I've felt loved… I knew I'd already fallen for you the first time your magic touched mine and it activated the portal. But after what happened with Archie's disappearance I thought- I thought I was the only one in love. I couldn't bear it... not having you. Then losing Henry too."

"I'm sorry it took me forever to realise. I was convinced you hated my guts. You guard your feelings pretty well sometimes, when it comes to love anyway."

"Not anymore," Regina teased with a raise of her brows. She glanced rather obviously at the bed.

"Yeah," drawled Emma. "There's no mystery about what you're thinking when you look at me like that."

"I'm all yours."

Emma whispered, "Lucky me."

They didn't talk much from that point on. Regina turned down the lights and then undid the tie at the back of her neck which caused her dress to slip all the way down to the carpet. If she hadn't already been in over her head in love, the sight of Emma picking up the pool of expensive silk to drape it over the chaise lounge to prevent creases would have had her reeling. Despite the dim lighting she saw Emma smirk at her own gallantry as she watched her kick off her heels.

They began to kiss. Regina grabbed Emma's shirt, pulling the buttons apart as she walked her backwards until the back of her denim-clad legs hit the bed. The flannel and her white top underneath hit the floor. The jeans were the next item to go along with any other hindrance of clothing. Her desire to see the entire length of a certain Sheriff's pale skin against her bedsheets was increasingly hard to ignore.

Her plans were completely derailed when Emma pulled their bodies flush against one another. The contact of skin against skin sent her pulse racing. That's why she was distracted when Emma switched their positions and in one swift move, she lifted her off the ground by the thighs and tossed her onto the bed.

"Emma, what-?!" Regina sat up ready to act indignant, but she wasn't quick enough. Emma hooked her hands under the back of both knees and jerked her forward so that she could climb on top of her. It was a shock but not unwanted.

The blonde hovered over her deepening the kiss after she reached around her back to free the clasp of her own bra. Regina tilted her head to expose the curve of her neck, hoping that it would be a hint for what she wanted. Bruises would blossom there tomorrow from Zelena choking her but for now she threaded her hand through the hair at the back of Emma's neck to guide her. She sighed when Emma opened her mouth and sucked the delicate skin.

Usually she wouldn't tolerate this kind of position, her sexual history had never been anything but problematic. She trusted Emma though. The weight straddling her hips or pinning her hands to the mattress felt less threatening than some of the words that'd been thrown her way. But she wasn't going to lie there passively and let her partner control the whole game.

Regina freed her hands and raked her nails down Emma's back, light enough to give her the shivers, and then slipped both hands into the back of her panties. Emma wore a scant scrap of red lace, which seemed like not the kind of underwear she would usually opt for, so she must have dressed tonight wanting to impress. Regina's massaging confirmed her suspicion that a very firm ass was the reason the Sheriff looked so damn sexy in her jeans, though she'd never been caught noticing. She was rewarded with a muffled moan and then the woman above her shifted one leg between hers so that they were now intertwined. Her outside knee lifted so that their inner thighs were urged together intimately. They moved against each other, skin on skin, getting the feel for each other. Somehow, every move she made Emma managed to either reciprocate or outdo her and things heated up quickly.

Her eyes slipped closed. Emma's breath was hot on her skin moving from her breasts down her torso in between kisses. Her tangle of long blonde hair tickled the skin where it lay. "I confessed by accident earlier today but I want you to know that I meant it. I love you."

"The moment I first saw you I thought you were the most" -kiss- "unbelievably beautiful" -kiss- "woman I'd ever seen."

"At first I loved making you angry and later I was angry that I'd never get to make love to you... Let me show you what it feels like to be loved."

Before her attraction to Emma grew, Regina had never even considered whether she could find sex with a woman pleasurable. In her youth the idea of it was so far from being an allowed option, the habit stuck. But now that she was getting to know what it was like to be with someone who loved her and cared about both of their experiences being pleasurable, it showed her how much she'd missed out on. It surprised her how arousing it was. Unlike her previous experiences this was beautiful, enjoyable, softer. It was so  _good._  She wished for it to never end.

Regina couldn't pay attention to anything now but what Emma was doing to her with her tongue to her most sensitive places. The heat of her mouth was amazing and seemed to flood her whole body with warmth and pleasure. It started agonisingly slow, slipping over her folds, teasing her with each stroke faster as the tension built inside her.

"Don't stop." Regina moaned as she grabbed at the hand palming at her breast. If her partner had been anyone else she would have hated how desperate she sounded. But right now she didn't care. Emma's other hand had secured hers and laced their fingers together, as though to remind her that what they had was real and she wasn't going to disappear on her.

She was close now, breathing hard and barely aware of anything else. Every muscle in her body was screaming with tension. Her back arched seeking release. Emma was going to push her right over the edge in seconds. She let out an agonised cry of relief when she felt the first wave of ecstasy hit her. It spread through her body like wildfire, then ebbed momentarily before coming back again and again.

Regina sank into the bed relaxing as her intense orgasm faded to small pulses. She could hear Emma chuckling, probably amused at how she still needed to catch her breath. She would find a way to pay her back, maybe frustrate her slowly until she was begging for more. Later. But right now every one of her emotions had rose to the surface and opened up, leaving her feeling vulnerable. Thankfully the light was dim enough for her to swipe at her eyes unnoticed.

Emma crawled up the bed to give her a light kiss. "That was amazing. God, you're beautiful. Are you always so responsive?"

"Not particularly." Her quiet tone couldn't mask her tears. She felt too exposed.

"Hey?" Emma said gently stroking her hair. "Is everything ok? I've never seen you like this. Is there something wr-"

"No! No. It was wonderful. It's just overwhelming because - Emma, it's never been like that for me."

Mercifully, Emma didn't say anything or press her for more details. All she let herself be held tight to for a few long moments. Any reference as to what it must have been like for her with King Leopold or even with Graham went unsaid. Regina loved her all the more for it, for being able to succumb to her emotions without having to explain them. Laying there together in the quiet, with nothing between them, simply reveling in being close to one another.

Fearing that Emma would drift off to sleep before she could have her way with her, Regina rolled them over so that she was laying atop of her. She slid down to press a wet kiss to the center of her chest where her precious heart lay.

Regina sat up so that she was straddling Emma's hips. "Now, dear, I finally have you where I want you. At my beck and call."

"All you had to do is ask, Your Majesty," quipped Emma, seconds before she got a pillow thrown at her face. It only made her laugh harder. "Hey! Oh, ah-ah ow! Stop making me laugh. My sides already hurt from getting thrown around today."

"Perhaps you need a massage?"

"Definitely."

"Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere. But especially here _._ " Emma lowered her voice and moved one of Regina's hands to cup the front of her panties.

It was time for some vengeful teasing, Regina decided, after the year she'd spent frustrated over the Sheriff when all the time Emma was oblivious to her existence. She took it slow, caressing her whole body passing by the obvious places and instead concentrating on her taut tummy, her shoulders, her inner thighs, taking time to discover the touches that caused a response. She seemed to like being kissed over the area below her bellybutton. A lot. Regina was only too willing to pay reverence to where her beloved baby boy had lain as he was nurtured into existence.

"Have you had enough of teasing me?" Emma's voice was strained. "Or are you trying to kill me."

"Yes. That's been my plan all along."

"Super ingenious plan. I like it and I'm sure it'll be worth it."

Regina hooked her fingers into the lace and slid Emma's underwear down her thighs. She was surprised for a moment that nothing but smooth bare skin awaited. That she was going to save til last, but her intentions got thrown off course. Emma gave her a few hints about what she liked. But she didn't seem embarrassed when she expressed a need for lots of clitoral stimulation and stated as a matter of fact that it sometimes took her a while to be able to orgasm.

Regina's sense of pride translated that as a challenge. At first she thought Emma might have been exaggerating and without the explanation she would've wondered if it was on her as to why it was taking so long. She could tell that Emma was very turned on though by the sounds she was making and every now and again she'd moan and ask her to repeat what she was doing.

Consistency and the constant heat of her mouth, as Regina discovered, got Emma into the zone where she was desperate to come. But she needed more. Her request sounded like a demand so Regina took pleasure in only gently - slowly - slipping two fingers inside her and stroking with a come-hither motion.

Emma must've been close by now. Judging by the way she was begging "yes... yes… yes" over and over in sync with the rhythm. She indicated that it was working for her. It was an equal thrill for Regina to make her come and to watch. Her wrist was tiring but there was nothing that would make her stop at this point.

When it finally happened Emma jerked hard and the abdominal contractions had her in their grip for about fifteen seconds.

Regina laid down on her side of the bed while Emma stretched out her torso to relieve the remaining tension. It was thoroughly pleasing to have caused that exhausted state, not least when Emma drew her towards her sweat-slicked body. The last of her energy went into a kiss.

Emma murmured with her eyes closed. "I can literally hear the smug on your face. Mm, love you anyway."

Regina leaned over to pull the bedcovers up and over them both. Her mouth widened into a smile as she raised her hand to magically extinguish the remaining light. She settled back into bed and was pulled into a sleepy Emma's embrace again. Who would have thought that after sex Miss Swan was a clingy cuddler?

Regina wasn't sure if her partner was still awake but she whispered it anyway. "You know what they say... The hero always gets the girl in the end."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end. Thanks for reading!


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